World Cancer Day 2021 is observed to spread awareness, inspire change and reduce the global impact of cancer. The day is celebrated on 4th February every year and this year marks the ultimate year of the ‘I Am and I Will’ campaign which began in 2019. The aim to observe World Cancer Day is to reduce misconceptions about cancer and to help people in getting the right information about it. It also offers a chance to make an impact in the betterment of the life of cancer patients and survivors.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. The top cancers that affect the Indian population are lung, breast, cervical, head and neck and colorectal cancer (CRC). So it is important to understand each type of cancer and how it impacts the body. On World Cancer Day, everyone comes together with an agenda to achieve a healthier and brighter world free of cancer.
World Cancer Day 2021L Theme | I Am and I Will
The theme for World Cancer Day 2021 is ‘I Am and I Will.’ It is a multi-year campaign that began in 2019 and this year will mark the last year. It represents an empowering call-to-action urging personal commitment, and also represents the power of action taken now to have a positive impact on the future. It focuses on ‘together, all our actions matter.’
World Cancer Day 2021: History
World Cancer Day was originated at the first World Summit Against Cancer in 2000. It was held in Paris and was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
In Armenia:
We have around 9,000 new cancer cases per year.
It’s a high number and we should work more and more to decrease the figures.
Many NGOs are working perfectly on promoting awareness of cancer and early detection initiative as well as to support, help and assist patients; For now, we need to build a new national campaign (from public and private sector) to from a preventative approach to healthcare, bringing awareness to the importance of regular screening examinations, early detection and healthy lifestyles.
Prevention and early detection are more important than ever — and are proven, effective strategies to lower health care costs.
Check the 10 steps and start preventing cancer NOW:
1- Avoid tobacco in all its forms, including exposure to secondhand smoke.
2- Eat properly. Reduce your consumption of saturated fat and red meat, which may increase the risk of colon cancer and a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3- Exercise regularly. Physical activity has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer. Exercise also appears to reduce a woman’s risk of breast and possibly reproductive cancers. Exercise will help protect you even if you don’t lose weight.
4- Stay lean. Obesity increases the risk of many forms of cancer. Calories count; if you need to slim down, take in fewer calories and burn more with exercise.
5- If you choose to drink, limit yourself to an average of one drink a day. Excess alcohol increases the risk of many cancers cases.
6- Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. Get medical imaging studies only when you need them. Check your home for residential radon, which increases the risk of lung cancer. Protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, which increases the risk of melanomas and other skin cancers.
7- Avoid exposure to industrial and environmental toxins such as asbestos fibers, benzene, aromatic amines, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
8- Avoid infections that contribute to cancer, including hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papillomavirus. Many are transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.
9- Make quality sleep a priority. Admittedly, the evidence linking sleep to cancer is not strong. But poor and insufficient sleep increases is associated with weight gain, which is a cancer risk factor.
10- Get enough vitamin D. Many experts now recommend 800 to 1,000 IU a day, a goal that’s nearly impossible to attain without taking a supplement. Although protection is far from proven, evidence suggests that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and other malignancies. But don’t count on other supplements.
Armenia – Global Cancer Observatory – Check the figures: Country Armenia 2020
Develop Armenia 