TNI Bureau: Today is World Cancer Day. This day of 4th February is observed annually to raise awareness about cancer and to encourage efforts in prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease.
The theme for this year is “Cancer – Did you know?”
Celebration of World Cancer Day signifies the effort by United Nations (UN), World Health Organisations (WHO), government and other major health organisations to unite the world and devise strategies in the fight against the cancer and also disseminate the facts about the epidemic disease, treatments and preventive measures among public.
Raising awareness about healthy diet, physical activity and environmental carcinogens is also a major part of the World Cancer Day event.
Support Independent Journalism? Keep us live.
The Union for International Cancer Control and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have announced that 1.5 million lives which would have been lost to cancer, could be saved per year, if decisive measures are taken to achieve the World Health Organization’s ‘25 by 25’ target.
The target is to reduce premature deaths due to non-communicable diseases by 25 percent by 2025.
Currently, 7.6 million people die from cancer worldwide every year.
If urgent action is not taken to raise awareness about the disease, by 2025 death by cancer is projected to increase by an alarming 6 million.
The cancer threat looms large killing millions and so World Cancer Day 2013 is the right time to start preventive measures.