World Cancer Day

What is World Cancer Day?

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on 4 February every year to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer, and rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer.

World Cancer Day is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control, the largest and oldest international cancer organisation dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.

World Cancer Day was born on 4 February 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. The Paris Charter aims to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, raise awareness and mobilise the global community to make progress against cancer, and includes the adoption of World Cancer Day.

Read the full text of the Paris Charter here

Join us for World Cancer Day

Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) has been a member of the Union for International Cancer Control since 1966, and we have been dedicating resources to minimize cancer and maximize lives through effective programmes. In recent times, we have intensified our cancer prevention efforts which saw the implementation of greater education and awareness programmes, in addition to the launch of the HPV vaccination programme to tackle cervical cancer.

In 2017 alone, over 100,000 beneficiaries were impacted by our many public education, patient support and services, screening, and financial assistance programmes. With rising cancer incidence, SCS sees great importance in implementing a more holistic approach towards integrated care. Ultimately, community support is key in raising greater awareness about cancer and the people.

As the key organization representing Singapore on this global fight, SCS would like to invite organisations to join us in championing this cause by participating in the following to raise greater awareness about cancer and make a difference to improve the lives of the cancer community:

1) 2019 marks the launch of the new 3-year campaign by UICC and ‘I Am and I Will’ is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future. We would like to seek your support to either do a short shout out with a statement using the campaign tagline of “I Am and I Will” or share with us your photo with an action depicting your involvement to champion this cause, along with a short quote. The video will be released to the media and posted on our Facebook page on World Cancer Day.

2) Pledge of Commitment indicating how your organisation supports the cancer community. For organisations that fulfil any of the 5 areas listed below, we would like to invite you to pledge your commitment in showing your support to fight against cancer. Please do let us have details of any existing initiatives you currently have to participate. By pledging your commitment, we will list your organisation on our website as one of the supportive organisations and a plaque will be presented for display at your office.

No	Area of Support	Examples
1	Promote healthy lifestyle	Promote healthy eating at work through provision of fruits to employees Organise exercise related activities Roll out healthy products for consumers
2	Increase cancer awareness	Creation of a cancer-supportive environment for employees Conduct talks, roadshows to education employees/public about cancer Support by placing publicity materials of SCS events or cancer awareness information onsite Create cancer related materials to share with the public
3	Promote a smoke-free environment	Implementing/Have in place a smoking cessation programme Restrict smoking at office premises
4	Encourage health/cancer screening	Implement/Have in place annual health checks for employees Medical coverage support employees with cancer
5	Support cancer causes	Organise fundraising activities in support of SCS Donate to SCS to support various programmes and services Participate in SCS events and activities like Relay for Life, Race Against Cancer, etc Organise CSR related activities to volunteer with SCS

Whoever you are, you have the power to reduce the impact of cancer for yourself, the people you love and for the world. It’s time to make a personal commitment.

Create a future without cancer. The time to act is now.

Reach us at enquiry@singaporecancersociety.org.sg

List of supporting organisations

World Cancer Day Global Light Up

The world will witness some of the most significant buildings and landmarks light up in orange and blue to mark World Cancer Day this coming 4 February. Cities around the world, including Singapore, will be signalling their commitment to the global challenge of cancer. The act of lighting up major landmarks not only helps to bring attention to World Cancer Day, but is a symbolic act of hope in the ongoing fight against cancer.

The following buildings in Singapore will be lighted in orange and blue on 4 February 2019: