International organisation issues call-to-action ahead of World Cancer Day

Amman — The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) on Thursday announced a global call-to-action ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4. 

The new “I Am and I Will” campaign is a three-year project urging people to take on a personal commitment related to cancer, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

“The global cancer burden remains one of the most urgent health issues we face today. This World Cancer Day, we are underscoring the importance of personal and collective actions taken today, which can dramatically improve the early detection of cancer and help to save millions of lives,” said HRH Princess Dina Mired, president of the UICC. 

The statement added that the World Health Organisation, an affiliate of the UICC, provides guidance on how to address the cancer burden through steps founded on global coordination and health systems to achieve universal health coverage. 

In 2018, the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimated that cancer caused the deaths of 9.6 million people. One-in-five men and one-in-six women worldwide develop cancer during their lifetime; one-in-eight men and one-in-eleven women eventually die from the disease, according to the statement.

The Middle East is one of the most affected regions in the world, and cancer is the second leading cause of death in Jordan. The Jordan Cancer Registry, established in 1996, is mandated to collect data on cancer cases to help identify trends and ultimately improve care for patients. According to registry’s 2015 report, close to 8,400 new cancer cases were registered Jordan during 2015 alone and more than half of them were among women.

However, healthcare for cancer patients has improved substantially in recent years, and Jordan is now considered a regional centre for cancer care excellence, offering all Jordanians access to free cancer care, according to the statement.

World Cancer Day is celebrated as an opportunity to commemorate, raise awareness and rally everyone — governments, civil society, individuals and the international community, the statement said.