UICC World Cancer Campaign

In 2005, the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) launched its World Cancer Campaign, with an initial focus on childhood cancer under the theme "My child matters". Over the coming years, the campaign will address many aspects of the fight against cancer.

There is an urgent need to scale up awareness of the fight against cancer. Information, education and communication, especially with respect to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, need strategic focus in order to bring about socio-behavioural changes. In recent years, the fight against cancer has taken a back seat to other public health priorities such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Each year, 7 million people die of cancer and 11 million new cases are diagnosed. Cancer claims twice as many lives worldwide as AIDS. In fact, more than 12% of all deaths every year are caused by cancer. That’s more than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria put together.

The UICC World Cancer Campaign is a response to the Charter of Paris adopted during the 2000 World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. This calls for “an invincible alliance – between researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, governments, industry and media – to fight cancer and its greatest allies, which are fear, ignorance and complacency.”

No other international organisation has built on this momentum to coordinate activities and organise related annual events at the global level. Therefore, UICC, through its member organisations and partners, has launched the World Cancer Campaign, including the annual commemoration of World Cancer Day on 4 February. Specific campaigns will be planned along selected themes to highlight awareness of the cancer burden in participating countries and gather funds for cancer initiatives.

Objectives of the World Cancer Campaign and World Cancer Day