World Cancer Day: Cancer is not beyond us

2015

Feb 4

We all know that cancer epidemic is huge and it is increasing. Currently 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely. According to the Agency for Research on Cancer, if rates don’t change, the global cancer is expected to nearly 13.15 million deaths by 2030. Furthermore, the increasing graph of the developing countries is steeper than the graph of the developed countries.

For solving this problem, a global movement, which aims to save millions of preventable deaths, has emerged and it’s called World Cancer Day. World Cancer Day is celebrated every year on February 4. It puts an effort to raise awareness and education about the disease and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action. With a theme ‘Not beyond us’, it highlights that we should take a positive and proactive approach to the fight against cancer. If we move forward together with this approach, we have the potential to be safe. Cancer is not beyond us.

World Cancer Day will be articulated around four key areas of focus

-Choosing healthy lives

-Delivering early Detection

-Achieving treatment for all

-Maximizing quality of life

Through these four key areas, World Cancer Day offers the ideal opportunity to spread the word and raise the profile of cancer in people’s minds and in the world’s media. There are various events that you can get involved, which are sharing posters, engaging social media, adding to the World Cancer Day online map of events and so on.

We at Birds Nest Foundation have worked with many organizations to tell their stories. One such organization is Cancer Schmancer Movement. Founded by Fran Drescher, a uterine cancer survivor, she emphasizes that people need to take control of their bodies and to be proactive medical consumers. Cancer Schmancer transforms women from patients to medical consumers, and aims to shift this nation’s priority from searching for a cancer cure towards prevention and early detection of cancer.

Cancer Schmancer offers early detection information to keep a tab on your health. It educates and transforms patients onto medical consumers. Also, there are many campaigns that you can participate in. For example, there is ‘Detox your Home’ campaign. Cancer Schmancer urges people to host a detox party and teach their friends and family how to live less toxic, healthier and preventative lifestyles.

Take part and be proactive. Cancer is not beyond us.