CubaPLUS Magazine

Numerous actions take place all over the planet on the occasion of World Cancer Day, which this February 4 renews the call to strengthen the fight against this disease, one of the greatest challenges for humanity.

Promoted by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), the conference had its origin at the world summit held in 2000 in Paris to coordinate actions against this scourge for the new millennium.

Supported by the World and Pan American Health Organizations (WHO / PAHO), the celebration has for three years been the motto of quot;I am and I am going toquot;, oriented to individual reflection to act in favor of reducing the impact of cancer .

Raising awareness globally, improving education, and promoting personal, collective, and government action are among the purposes of these efforts, which aim to reduce the number of premature deaths from cancer and non- communicable diseases by one third by 2030.

In this regard, the UICC believes that access to life-saving cancer diagnosis, treatment and care should be the same for everyone, no matter where you live, what your income is, ethnicity or gender.

According to PAHO, the disease is the second leading cause of death in the Americas region, with an estimated four million people diagnosed in 2020 and 1.4 million deaths.

Globally, it is estimated there were 20 million new cases and 10 million deaths, with a forecast increase in its incidence of 60 percent in the next two decades.

In Cuba, cancer is one of the main causes of death and in 2019 it displaced cardiovascular diseases from the first place, with 48,617 new cases and 24,912 deaths, according to official figures.

The island, which has a wide network of oncological care institutions, aspires to position cancer as a chronic disease controlled through educational work and early detection, guaranteed at the primary health care level, made up of doctor offices, family doctor and polyclinics across the country.