30 January 2016
4 February is World Cancer Day. A truly global event taking place every year on the same date, World Cancer Day unites the world's population in the fight against cancer. It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.
Taking place under the tagline 'We can. I can.', World Cancer Day 2016-2018 will explore how everyone - as a collective or as individuals - can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.
Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities.
World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action. Whatever you choose to do 'We can. I can.' make a difference to the fight against cancer.
World Cancer Day was established by the Paris Charter adopted at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium in Paris on 4 February 2000. This Charter aimed at the promotion of the research for curing as well as preventing the disease, upgrading the provided services to the patients, the sensitisation of the common opinion and the mobilisation of the global community against cancer.
In its article 10, the Charter established that 4 February would therefore be World Cancer Day, so that the Charter of Paris would remain in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
Article 10
Since cancer knows no boundaries, and individual countries cannot address the challenges of cancer in isolation, a new cooperative approach to research, advocacy, prevention and treatment must be established.
The parties undertake to develop unprecedented global networks and alliances to further the goals of this charter. They further pledge to ensure that the objectives of this charter are not abandoned after its signing, by:
1. Recognizing the declaration by all appropriate institutions that February 4 shall be marked as "World Cancer Day" so that each year, the Charter of Paris will be in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
2. Establishing standing committees that will produce annual reports, benchmarking progress against each of the articles of the Charter.
3. Forming a global network of advocacy groups to encourage grassroots support for charter articles within their communities.
4. Creating a global research organization made up of leading professional societies around the world. This group will be dedicated to ensuring that current knowledge is shared across borders, research gaps are identified and promising areas are explored.
5. Rallying one million people around the world to sign the Charter of Paris by the year 2001, thereby showing their willingness to mobilize on behalf of those affected by cancer.
