World Cancer Day [4th Feb] - History, Significance, Theme

World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February every year as a global initiative to generate widespread awareness about cancer. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the prevention and detecting early signs of cancer. World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000, at the World Cancer Summit in Paris.

Cancer is a deadly disease that impacts the lives of patients and their caretakers deeply. World Cancer Day was started as an initiative to help people identify the early signs of the disease and get timely treatment. We have shared more details about Cancer Day here.

About World Cancer Day 2023

World Cancer Day is an international event on which people raise awareness about cancer, and its possible prevention and treatment. Cancer is a disease which makes people hopeless and impacts the lives of both patient and their caretakers. Through a global initiative such as World Cancer Day, the stigma and misinformation around cancer can be tackled.

We have shared an overview of World Cancer Day here. Know more about the date, theme, and aim of this special day from the table shared below.

World Cancer Day Theme 2023

A new World Cancer Day theme is shared every year. The celebrations of the day take place around that specific theme. This year, the World Cancer Day 2023 theme is “Close the Care Gap”. This theme is a part of the 2022-2024 campaign set by the UICC. Here is some more information about this campaign -

Close the Care Gap Campaign (2022-2024)

World Cancer Day theme 2023, "Close the Care Gap", highlights the gaps and inequities that patients face in cancer treatments and vehemently works towards bridging this gap to save more lives through equality in the health care sector. This campaign covering three years is divided into -

• Awareness of the Gap and Redressal (2022) - Understanding and addressing the hard facts around access to cancer health facilities.
• Unity and Action Plan (2023) - Collaborating with leaders and advocates who support funding for healthcare facilities for cancer patients.
• Higher Level Engagement and Mobilisation (2024) - Encouraging people and leaders to become a part of the campaign and support cancer patients.

Previous Year’s World Cancer Day Themes

We have shared the previous year’s themes for World Cancer Day in the table shared below.

Importance of World Cancer Day

There is no denying that cancer is a deadly disease but there’s no reason why cancer patients should feel utterly hopeless. World Cancer Day is about debunking myths and misinformation about cancer. We have shared the other reasons why this day is important here.

• World Cancer Day helps educate people more about the disease and its possible prevention.
• This day points out the need to take collective action to ensure that all cancer patients receive the best possible treatment.
• World Cancer Day is about starting a conversation around the prejudices that some cancer patients may face while receiving healthcare.

World Cancer Day History

The history of World Cancer Day can be traced back to 4 February 2000, when the inequities cancer patients face in health care was discussed for the first time. At the World Cancer Summit for the New Millenium in Paris, the then General Director of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura and French President Jacques Chirov signed the celebrated Charter of Paris Against Cancer as a formal recognition of the cause.

Consequently, International Cancer Day was officially declared by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) on 4 February 2000. Since then, World Cancer Day has been observed every year, with the UICC conducting campaigns and events annually on that day.

World Cancer Day 2023 India

Each year on World Cancer Day, over 100 countries participate in raising cancer awareness and reducing the]stigma around it. India celebrates cancer awareness through education, conducting events on World Cancer Day, and numerous campaigns.

One such example of the World Cancer Day campaign was the #NoHairSelfie movement, where individuals shaved their hair off so that cancer patients would not feel isolated from the rest of society.

FAQs on World Cancer Day

Q1. When is World Cancer Day celebrated?

World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February every year. On that day, people raise awareness about cancer, its types, early signs, prevention and treatment. World Cancer Day is celebrated to help people become aware of cancer while not losing hope and getting timely treatment.

Q2. What is the theme of World Cancer Day 2023?

World Cancer Day theme 2023 is "Close the Care Gap". This theme highlights the gaps that patients face in cancer treatments and encourages people to work towards bridging this gap to save more lives of cancer patients by ensuring equality in the healthcare sector.

Q3. Why is 4 February celebrated as World Cancer Day?

World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February because, on that day in 2000, the Charter of Paris Against Cancer was signed at the World Cancer Summit for the New Millenium in Paris. This day was officially declared as World Cancer Day by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Q4. How can we celebrate World Cancer Day?

We can celebrate World Cancer Day by collectively participating in initiatives that help spread cancer awareness. We can gather communities and individuals in educational institutions, hospitals and marketplaces to remind them that we all have a role to play in saving cancer patients.

Q5. When was the first World Cancer Day celebrated?

The first World Cancer Day was celebrated on 1 February 2001. The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) declared International Cancer Day on 4 February 2000, at the World Cancer Summit for the New Millenium in Paris.