World cancer day is an international day that is being marked on the 4th of February annually to raise cancer awareness and to encourage its prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. It is being led by the Union for international cancer control (UICC). World Cancer Day has turned into a positive campaign urging everyone everywhere to unite under one voice to fight one of history’s greatest challenges since its inception in 2000. In today’s world, we’re all working together to create a world in which millions of preventable cancer deaths are avoided and everyone has access to life-saving cancer treatment and care, regardless of who they are or where they live. Gathering communities, organizations, and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks, community halls, and places of worship and giving them talks on cancer and its prevention measures are activities we engage in on the streets and online to raise awareness that we all have a role to play in reducing the global impact of cancer, regardless of our tribe, age, level of education, gender, or societal status.
The disparities and challenges that cancer caregivers experience is the focus of this year’s World Cancer Day. According to current findings from the World Health Organization’s cancer study, governments in both high- and low-income nations are the most effective cancer treatment and diagnosis providers. This means that focusing just on diagnosis could push most families into poverty. The theme of this year’s World Cancer Day, “Close the Care Gap,” is all about raising awareness of this equity gap that affects practically everyone, in both high- and low-income countries, and is costing lives.
Walk With Us Cancer Foundation (WAWUC) in her efforts to reduce the incidence of cancer in Nigeria and Africa at large marked this year’s world cancer day with the following activities.
- Annual State-wide Secondary School Quiz Competition Amongst Senior Secondary School Students.
- Walk For Life
- Scientific presentation on Cancer
- Gala / Award Event Annual State-wide Secondary School Quiz Competition Amongst Senior Secondary School Students.
Walk With Us Cancer Foundation (WAWUC) Annual Secondary School Quiz Competition: This quiz competition was organized at three levels and under the supervision of the zonal directors from the secondary education management board SEMB) of Imo state ministry of education, schools were selected from all the six educational zones. The goal of organizing the quiz competition is to educate and disseminate information on all health issues including misinformation with emphasis on cancer, its causation, prevention activities and what practical steps to have a healthy lifestyle amongst students in Imo state, which would help them support themselves and their loved ones. The quiz competition questions were based on Mathematics, English language, Biology and Health Sciences (Cancer-based).
The quiz competition was organized in three levels;
- Local government level
- Zonal level
- State-level
At the end, of the Quiz competition, a total number of 53 schools both private and public participated while in Government Secondary School, Owerri won the first position.
