What you can do to mark World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is a truly global event, but to enable us to reach as much of the world’s population as possible, we need your help.

We appreciate that everyone supporting the Day has different needs and priorities, so there are a wide variety of ways for your organisation and members to get involved, from the basic engagement aimed at the general public (Level 1), to a more engaged level involving UICC member organisations and partners (Level 2) and even a “super engaged” level (Level 3), which is aimed at coordinating a global Advocacy Push.

We encourage you to use the following platforms and suggested messaging to engage your members and encourage them to do something on the day to support our grassroots message of dispelling cancer myths. 

LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT

LEVEL 1 - BASIC

ANYONE AND EVERYONE / GENERAL PUBLIC

You will be able to use the following activities to engage your network and the wider general public of your country on the burden of cancer, and in-turn raise the profile of World Cancer Day:

  • Social media channels: Engage with your network via your Twitter / Facebook pages (global hashtags and key messages to share via social platforms are provided later in this toolkit).
  • The “Cancer Myths vs Facts” Facebook application will be launched for World Cancer Day 2013 - be sure to use it and share it widely with your members to spread the truth about cancer on this day. 
  • Use the World Cancer Day poster which has been designed specifically for the 2013 campaign. You can use it digitally or as a printed document to promote the day and the theme. 
  • Website: Ensure that the World Cancer Day logo is present on your website, link to www.worldcancerday.org and even better, upload a small article onto your site about the day. 
  • World Cancer Declaration: share the Declaration with your members, and other members of the public, and encourage them to sign-up on World Cancer Day.

LEVEL 2 - WANT TO DO MORE?

GENERAL PUBLIC / UICC MEMBER ORGANISATIONS AND PARTNERS

  • Add to the World Cancer Day online map of events and activities - Please share what you will be doing on/ around World Cancer Day. The site is visited by media, individuals and organisations worldwide - therefore this is a great place in which to let the world know what you have planned, no matter how big or small. www.worldcancerday.org/events-map
  • Translate: Help bring the messages and tools of the World Cancer Day campaign to a wider audience. We would love to have additional translations for the posters and fact sheets. Contact communication@uicc.org if you are interested in helping. 
  • Adapt the World Cancer Day poster, by adding your organisation’s logo before you disseminate it. Design files are available upon request. 
  • The four World Cancer Day Fact sheets have been created to dispel common global myths and misconceptions about cancer. Disseminate or adapt them for use amongst your network. 
  • The World Cancer Day Evidence sheets have been put together to provide additional supporting information to the fact sheets. These are perfect to encourage further reading and information sharing on the key topics and messages of the campaign. 
  • Engage with your corporate sponsors and other corporate or not-for-profit organisations in your country to encourage their support in World Cancer Day. They could help by organising fund raising activities on your behalf and/or by using World Cancer Day messaging in their internal and external communications mechanisms (newsletters, websites etc).
  • Use the Cancer infographics: specially created for World Cancer Day 2012, these represent the global cancer burden in a visually engaging format (more information about these infographics can be found in the ‘Local activity guidance and toolkit overview‘ section of this document). Consider using these on your website and in member and media communications to support World Cancer Day.
  • Create sub-level campaigns using the Myths and misconceptions theme. The Cervical Cancer Action built on the World Cancer Day "Cancer--Did you know?" campaign, by hosting two webinars that explored the myths and misconceptions about cervical cancer and provided participants with important information and tools to support national cervical cancer prevention efforts through community mobilization and national and regional advocacy. 

LEVEL 3 - SUPER ENGAGED

ADVOCACY PUSH

In the year since the UN High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), WHO
has led a series of consultations that are vitally important to global action on NCDs. One of these consultations is on the development of a Global Action Plan for NCDs 2013-2020 which is due to be adopted at the 66th World Health Assembly in May 2013.

Call on your government to ensure that cancer interventions, across the entire continuum of care from prevention to early detection, treatment and palliation, are adequately addressed in the new Global Action on Plan on NCDs. Please visit: http://www.uicc.org/advocacy/advocacy-in-action/advocacy-campaign-update for more information and supporting documents. 

UICC Advocacy toolkit.