History
First World Cancer Day was celebrated in 1993 in Geneva, Switzerland under the direction of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). This was organized by the support of some well-known cancer societies, research institutes, treatment centers, and patient groups.
That time according to the report, approximately 12.7 million people were suffering from cancer, and about 7 million people were losing their lives every year due to cancer. World Cancer Day was observed to control this deadly disease.
Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) was established in the year 1993. It has its headquarters in Geneva. It is a membership-based organisation taking care of Cancer around the world and helping in medical research.
Why Cancer Day Celebrates
Every year World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February. The purpose of the UICC is to support the World Cancer Declaration written in 2008. The primary purpose of celebrating this day is to reduce the number of cancer patients by 2020 and to reduce the death rate causing due to it.
At the same time, make people aware of how to identify the symptoms of cancer, educate people, as well as to prepare government and non-governmental organizations to help in fighting this deadly disease all over the world.
Not only this, the aim of celebrating World Cancer Day is to reduce the misconceptions about cancer and to help people in getting the right information about it. There are several myths related to this disease as people behave with cancer patients untouchable, they think that if people will live with cancer patients they will also get cancer. This day is celebrated to remove these kinds of social myths. Therefore, people must know how and what type of treatment is given to cancer patients. Cancer people have all the right to live like a normal person and they must feel self-respect and should get a normal environment in their home and society.
How World Cancer Day celebrated?
Government and non-governmental organizations are organizing various camps, lectures, and seminars at every level throughout the world for the prevention of cancer. Several policies, control measures are implemented and people join the campaign in masses. The main target of the event is to spread a message to the common people about cancer. UICC provides a toolkit which consists of templates, leaflets, and direction of various organizations for better assistance. World Cancer Day event is celebrated every year with a particular theme to make it more result-oriented and to reduce death ratio per year. In our country, too many campaigns are being run to save people from cancer. In India on 7 November Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated nationally.