The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), encourages palliative care organisations worldwide to show their support by hosting events, writing about palliative care and cancer, and adding their voices to the worldwide social media campaign and Thunderclap.  

Palliative care is an essential element of the continuum of care for people with cancer and their families and caregivers. It aims to reduce pain and suffering and improve quality of life for people with cancer and other life limiting conditions.

The ‘We can. I can.’ campaign explores how everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.

A resolution on cancer care is on the agenda at this week’s World Health Organization Executive Board meeting. Hospice and palliative care advocates will be at the meeting in Geneva, representing hospice and palliative care organisations around the world in support of the resolution.

The proposed resolution recognises the importance of palliative care in the continuum of cancer care for adults and children.

Palliative care organisations are encouraged to blog and publish thought pieces highlighting the importance of palliative care as part of the continuum of care for people with cancer and their families through their own communications channels or in their local media. They can also submit articles to ehospice.

UICC provides support through the development of tools and guidance to encourage its member organisations to run local cancer awareness campaigns that are aligned and adapted to the global World Cancer Day message.

Join World Cancer Day 2017 to show that together ‘We can. I can.’ make a difference in the fight against cancer.

If you are planning an event to mark World Cancer Day, be sure to add it to the global map of activities.

Materials and media tools can be found on the World Cancer Day website and you can add your organisation’s voice to the Thunderclap campaign online.