n February, World Cancer Day 2023 marks the second year of the Close The Care Gap campaign, to reduce the inequality that exists in access to quality cancer services worldwide.
The focus of the second year is to bring together individuals, groups, advocates and decision makers to call for change and take action.
In addition to innovation and medical progress, progress in the real world is also celebrated. Even the most modest actions can have a big impact, such as encouraging people to take a neighbor to cancer treatment or ensuring that the local school has a variety of healthy and affordable to eat options.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Cancer Day 2023 and how to participate.
When is it?
World Cancer Day is celebrated every year on February 4.
Made in 2000, World Cancer Day aims to raise global awareness, improve education and inspire action, both personal and government, against preventable cancer deaths.
It is a global unifying initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
How can I support the action?
There are hundreds of events around the world, such as UICCs 5k challenge, which encourages people from all walks of life to complete a 5km loop by running, biking, swimming, walking, or other methods of drawing attention to the cause. Participants are then encouraged to post their activities on social media, using the hashtags #WorldCancerDay and #CloseTheCareGap.
There are also 21-day challenges for people to create new positive healthy habits, help eliminate cervical cancer, or educate themselves and speak out about inequities in access to cancer services.
To participate, choose one of the three challenges on the UICC websitesign up and you’ll receive an email every morning with a lesson, an inspirational prompt, or a new activity to participate in.
If these activities don’t fit into your schedule or you choose not to participate, World Cancer Day also takes donations through their website.