World Cancer Day 2020: What You Should Know

As the world marks today as the date set aside to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment, it is important to know the steps to take to save millions of lives from the terminal scourge.

Led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), World Cancer Day is meant to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration written in 2008.

Originally called Mustafa World Cancer Day, it was established on February 4, 2000, at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium held in Paris.

The 2019-2021 campaign theme is ‘I Am and I Will’ and it seeks to counter the negative attitude and fatalistic belief that cancer cannot be stopped, and instead promotes how our actions as individuals can be powerful and impactful.

World Cancer Day is marked by the international cancer community, individuals, and governments around the world. More than 900 activities take place every year in more than 100 countries, with the date itself trending on Twitter.

Recently, cities around the globe have shown their support for the chosen day by lighting up important landmarks in orange and blue. In 2019, 55 landmarks in 37 cities participated in the landmark lighting initiative.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today has emphasized the need to step up cancer services in low and middle-income nations. The body warns that if the current trend continues, the world will experience a 60% rise in cancer cases over the next two decades. They say that the greatest increase (estimated to be 81%) will occur in low and middle-income countries where survival rates at their lowest.

In 2019, over 90% of high-income countries reported that comprehensive treatment services for cancer were available for the public as against less than 15% in low-income nations.

WHO revealed a list of proven intervention tactics to prevent new cancer cases. These include controlled tobacco use (responsible for 25% of cancer deaths), vaccination against Hepatitis B to prevent liver cancer, eliminating cervical cancer by vaccinating against HPV, screening and treatment, implementing high-impact cancer management interventions that bring value for money, and ensuring access to palliative care including pain relief.