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20 years of World Cancer Day

Every year on 4 February, World Cancer Day unites the global community in raising the collective voice against cancer. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the day seeks to raise cancer awareness, improve education and catalyse action to prevent millions of deaths from cancer.

An inclusive and empowering initiative, World Cancer Day provides an opportunity to open up conversations that can help confront the myths, misconceptions and fears around cancer which can often inhibit a more proactive approach to an individual’s own health.

Importantly, it is a day that mobilises the support of government leaders, healthcare professionals, the private sector, the cancer community, the public and the media to drive deliberate action around some of the most pressing cancer control issues. These include considering the financial and economic impact of the disease, the need for investment in resources and boosting the cancer workforce, as well as improving equity in access to timely, quality and sufficient cancer information, prevention, care and services. 

This year’s campaign under the theme of ‘I Am and I Will’ urges everyone to make a personal commitment  and is a positive reminder that each person can play an important part in reducing the impact of cancer on themselves, their loved ones and their community. 

CancerAid will be supporting the day by taking part in the World Cancer Day Campaign online and by engaging the community in action’s they can take to support people affected by cancer.  

In July last year, CancerAid was pleased to meet Dr Cary Adams, CEO of UICC at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse in Sydney (see picture above) to discuss the current challenges in cancer care. The meeting inspired each member of the CancerAid team to set ambitious goals for the future and to find new innovative ways to champion health technology in cancer care. 

On World Cancer Day 2020, CancerAid pledge to remain focused on empowering people affected by cancer with evidence-based support programs and resources to educate patients on ways they can take control of their cancer care. CancerAid remains dedicated to keeping the CancerAid app freely available to all patients, caregivers, charities and cancer organisations globally to assist in managing cancer, side effects and treatments. 

Today also marks the day CancerAid officially launch our first success metrics of the CancerAid Coach Program which is available via CancerAid’s insurance partners. In its first year, the hundreds of patients that graduated the program gave it high satisfaction scores, namely 97% of participants expressed that they would recommend the CancerAid Coach program to a friend. Find out more about the CancerAid Coach Program here.

2020 also marks a significant milestone: the 20th anniversary of World Cancer Day. To celebrate the occasion, UICC commissioned an international survey of over 15,000 people in 20 countries to better understand how people around the world feel, think and believe about cancer. 

One of the most concerning findings is that clear inequities exist between socioeconomic groups in all surveyed countries. Those who have a lower income and a lower level of education are less likely to recognise the main cancer risk factors and to take steps in reducing their cancer risk. 

This particular finding should serve as an impetus to double-down on efforts to reduce the inequities faced by lower socioeconomic groups. The International Public Opinion Survey on Cancer report with full findings can be accessed at worldcancerday.org/PublicOpinion

On World Cancer Day, every person can speak up and lend their support to reimagine a world where millions of lives are saved from unnecessary cancer deaths and for everyone, everywhere to have an equal chance to a healthier, brighter future. To join World Cancer Day, and for more information, visit worldcancerday.org 


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