World Cancer Day

WORLD Cancer Day is a global healthcare event for the awareness of cancer, which has been commemorated on February 4th for the past 23 years with the aim of spreading awareness and educating people about its detection, treatment, and prevention.

This week some institutes and NGOs will hold workshops and talanoa sessions.

This year the World Cancer Day theme is “Close the Care Gap,” which is a continuation of the 2022 theme and will last until 2024 with specified objectives for each year.

It was expected that there would be more exposure and engagement in a multi-year campaign, as well as more opportunities to raise global awareness and have an impact.

Low and middle-income nations face a unique challenge in addressing the cancer risk caused by several chronic illnesses.

In addition, these nations had shown poor cancer prognosis due to a lack of education, delayed diagnosis, and low access to affordable treatment.

In developing countries, too, the lack of cancer awareness leads to delay in diagnosis.

A study reported in 2020 was conducted in four major medial universities where the majority of cancer patients seek treatment for the first time only when they are in their advanced stages.

The literacy rate and low income greatly influence cancer awareness.

In the Pacific the literacy levels were more aware of cancer than others, but lack resources.

To conclude, general awareness of cancer screening, prevention, and treatment is low among the global populations, especially in low and middle-income with poor literacy rates leading to an increase in cancer prevalence, and there is an urgent need to fill the lacunae with proper education.

World Cancer Day brings attention to how important it is to prevent cancer, find it early, and treat it.

NEELZ SINGH Nelson, New Zealand