WCD: Need for political will

As the world marks 2020 World Cancer Day (WCD), we call for political will of government at all levels to combat one of the world’s most dreaded disease. World Cancer Day is designed to save millions from preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer. The day also serves as an occasion […]

As the world marks 2020 World Cancer Day (WCD), we call for political will of government at all levels to combat one of the world’s most dreaded disease.

World Cancer Day is designed to save millions from preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer. The day also serves as an occasion to push governments and individuals across the globe to take action against the disease.

Also to mark the 2020 call to action, the theme  “I Am and I Will”, is apt because the battle against cancer is a collective responsibility of both government and personal commitment; we also advocate for personal commitment and individual action to be taken to impact the future and defeat cancer.

We call for early diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care, as an estimated 40 percent of deaths from cancer are preventable if awareness and early treatment are intensified.

World Cancer Day aims to save millions from preventable deaths each year by raising awareness about cancer, and pushing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the incidence of cancer continues to grow at the reported cases, the number of deaths worldwide from cancer will increase to more than 13.1 million by 2030.

We equally express concern over the global statistics that shows that more than 70 percent of deaths from cancer occurs in economically less-developed countries, and call on developing countries to design mechanisms for drawing attention to cancer prevention and treatment in their respective states.

World Cancer Day, organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), and celebrated each year on 4 February, is an opportunity to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. World Cancer Day is intended to increase global awareness of cancer. It originated in 2000 at the first World Summit Against Cancer, which was held in Paris.

Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, President, Helpline Foundation for the Needy