World Cancer Day 2011
4 February 2011 -- Global
WHO is supporting the International Union Against Cancer's World Cancer Day on 4 February 2011 to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. Preventing cancer and raising quality of life for cancer patients are recurring themes, and this year WHO is paying particular attention to how physical activity can help reduce breast and colon cancers.
World Cancer Day 2011 is promoting ways to prevent cancer, particularly through being physically active. Physical inactivity is linked to breast and colon cancers. Almost 460 000 females died from breast cancer in 2008, while close to 610 000 males and females died from colorectal cancer.
New guidance from WHO - the Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health - details how differing amounts and intensities of physical activity for all age groups can help reduce noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including some cancers.
World Cancer Day also is an opportunity to promote the 19-20 September, 2011, UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease. These four diseases kill 3 in 5 people worldwide and share four common risk factors: tobacco, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and poor diet.
Achievements in prevention and control of cancer and other NCDs, will have a major positive impact, not only on international health but also on global development.
Related links
- Podcast: Physical activity a key in preventing some cancers
- International Union Against Cancer
- International Agency for Research on Cancer