Sunday, February 4, is World Cancer Day 2024, a global health awareness event led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). This year marks the final installment of UICC’s three-year “Close the Care Gap” campaign.

With this year’s theme, “Together, we challenge those in power,” advocates urge global leaders to eliminate health inequities in cancer care and address their root causes.

The campaign’s first-year theme, “Realizing the Problem,” focused on understanding and recognizing the inequities in cancer care around the world. The second-year theme, “Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action” recruited like-minded, motivated individuals to form new alliances and collaborations.

Of the 2024 effort, WorldCancerDay.org writes:

“The last year of our campaign is all about bringing attention to a higher level—literally. We will raise our voices to engage our leaders. Now that we have knowledge and a united community by our side, we are ready to shake the very foundations of injustice—to become lifelong advocates fully equipped to push for lasting change. 

Together, we will make sure our leaders know that we demand a commitment to prioritizing cancer, to creating innovative strategies designed to confront inequity and to investing our resources to achieve a just and cancer-free world. We will call on leaders to eliminate health inequities by addressing their root causes, ensuring that everyone has access to quality health services when, where and how they need them.”

WorldCancerDay.org offers downloadable materials—including tool kits, infographics and posters—as well as a map of activities. Search #WorldCancerDay and #CloseTheCareGap to find those relevant to you. The website also allows visitors to view UICC’S 2024 Equity Report, which breaks down cancer care and control across the globe and offers potential solutions to overcome disparities and increase equitable care. The report includes insights and perspectives from cancer leaders in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom and more.

“UICC’s World Cancer Day Equity Report shines a light on the barriers to care and significant disparities in outcomes due to prejudices and assumptions based on socioeconomic status, gender and other cultural norms, race and ethnicity, age, geographical location, sexual orientation and disability,” says UICC president Jeff Dunn, PhD, in a press release. “More importantly, it provides local insights into the challenges we face in diverse regions, guiding us toward targeted solutions.”

Organizations, governments, individuals and health care providers plan in-person and online events around World Cancer Day. In fact, last year, World Cancer Day achieved more than 24,000 press mentions in 160 countries across print, online and broadcast, according to its website.

To support World Cancer Day, click here.