A truly global event taking place every year on 4 February, World Cancer Day unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer.
It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.
We Can. I Can.
- Theme 2018: "We can. I can."
Taking place under the tagline ‘We can. I can.’, World Cancer Day will explore how everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.
- Theme 2022-2024 : "Close the Care Gap”.
Close the Care Gap, in 2024 the theme is still "Close the Care Gap". The campaign is all about understanding and recognising the inequities in cancer care around the globe.
This World Cancer Day, we recognise the power of working together.
Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities.
World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action. Whatever you choose to do ‘We can. I can.’ make a difference to the fight against cancer.
World Cancer Day is a truly global event. In order to achieve our objective of reaching as much of the world’s population as possible, your help is needed.
Why World Cancer Day is important?
Education:
Schools can be champions of healthy behaviours among children, staff, parents, families and the wider community by cultivating an environment that supports good nutrition and physical activity.
- Currently, 8.8 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years)
- World Cancer Day is the ideal opportunity to spread the word and raise the profile of cancer in people’s minds and in the world’s media
Young Lives vs. Cancer
Schools can be champions of healthy behaviours among children, staff, parents, families and the wider community by cultivating an environment that supports good nutrition and physical activity.
"Every school can foster a culture of healthy choices and habits by providing nutritious food and drink choices, as well as time for recreation and sport, and putting practical education about food and physical activity on the school curriculum."
Providing healthy choices in school canteensand cafeterias to ensure children have access
to lower energy density meals and snacks, and
to water as an alternative to sugar-sweetened
beverages, can have a considerable influence
on the development of positive attitudes
towards food and promote healthy behaviour.
We Can. I Can.
Schools can also holding special programmes to educate students and teachers about how survival rates increases through early detection.
I think it would be important to include cancer awareness into every school curriculum, not only in sciences curriculum.
Schools must involve young students in cross-curricular projects to raise awareness about cancer to prevent cancer.
Healthy food at school
via Google Images Archive
Activities:
“Education helps students and teachers not only protect their families, but also their own lives.”
- Schools can participate in programmes on food growing, harvesting, cooking and eating.
Michelle Obama at White House kitchen garden
credits: HuffPost
For example, kitchen garden projects to bring pleasurable food education
and cooking skills to life, and aim to change
the way children think about food through fun
and hands-on learning.
Remember Michelle Obama at White House kitchen gardening with school students?
Physical education in school
credit: Drazen Zigic / Shutterstock
- Inclusive, quality physical education should also be part of the school curriculum.
Physical education programmes provide instruction and
skill-learning opportunities that contribute to
the development of physical literacy, which
is linked to a greater likelihood of life-long
participation, as well as positive attitudes and
behaviours.
Regular participation in quality physical education can also improve a child’s
attention span, enhance their cognitive control and processing.
Campaign Toolkit
- Resources & useful links:
WHO appreciates that everyone supporting the Day has different needs and priorities, so there are a wide variety of ways to get involved.
World Health Organization Campaign (information & resources)
Improve the childhood cancer cure rate
Close the Care Gap
UN/ Cancer
World Health Organization
Materials:
Whether you do something as large as running your own World Cancer Day campaign, in school with your students, or as simple as sharing our template messages amongst your networks, every action has an impact.
As World Cancer Day is on Sunday this year, think in some lessons during next week to involve your students on the campaign.
Show the world that we can, I can… get involved in the fight against cancer. Add your school activities on the Map of Impact.
G-Souto
04-02.2018
update : 04.02.2024
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Schools : Let's talk : World Cancer Day ! Resources & Activities by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
