Blog by Mary Muia, President of Soroptimist International Africa Federation
Cancer remains one of the most pressing health challenges worldwide, affecting millions of people every year. According to recent data from the world health organization (WHO), cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 10 million deaths in 2022.
Preventable deaths: According to WHO, in Africa, approximately 80,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 77,000 women lose their lives unnecessarily each year in Africa, the hardest hit region. Cervical cancer is the 2nd most diagnosed cancer among women and the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in Africa.
The World Cancer Day was established on 4th February 2000 at the World Cancer Summit for the new Millennium that was held in Paris. Convened by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the day was created to draw attention to the growing impact of cancer around the world and encourage action to combat it.
The Paris Charter Against Cancer, signed during the summit, laid the foundation for this annual observance. Its goals were clear: promote research, improve patient care, raise awareness, and mobilise governments and communities to address the challenges posed by cancer.
The theme for World Cancer Day 2025, “United by Unique”, marks the start of a three-year campaign from 2025 to 2027 launched by UICC on 4th November 2024. This initiative focuses on a people-centred approach to cancer care, emphasising the individuality of each patient’s journey. By spotlighting personal stories, the campaign aims to foster empathy, understanding, and inclusivity in cancer care. The call places the individual rather than the disease at the centre of health care decisions.
The “United by Unique” campaign has three core objectives:
- Highlight Personal Stories: Share the journeys of patients, survivors, and caregivers to promote awareness and support.
- Encourage Personalised Care: Advocate for healthcare systems to provide tailored treatments and services.
- Foster Inclusivity: Ensure equal access to compassionate and effective cancer care for everyone, regardless of their background.
Through this theme, World Cancer Day 2025 seeks to inspire global action and reaffirm the commitment to reducing the impact of cancer through understanding, empathy, and collaboration.
In response to creating awareness on cancer prevention among global communities, Soroptimist International Africa Federation (SIAF) in collaboration with Soroptimist International global network members is playing a pivotal role in championing the WHO call on civil society to “increase awareness of cervical cancer prevention and control within their communities” for addressing barriers to accessing services and creating an enabling environment.
Overcoming gender bias: Women are more likely than men to lack the knowledge and the power to make informed cancer-related health-care decisions. The Soroptimist ‘Let’s Chat’ tool is an innovative cost-effective strategy to educate, empower and enable women to make informed decisions around the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, cervical cancer screening and to access early treatment.
Developed by women, for women: LET’S CHAT, a new initiative to tackle cervical cancer was launched in Geneva at the 77WHA-World Health Assembly side event co-hosted by Government of Kenya and the Scottish Government.
SIAF through the partnership of the Soroptimist International Clubs of Nairobi Central and Soroptimist International Europe (SIE) club of Dubai Gulf in collaboration within “The Room” and the United Nations Health4Life Fund have spearheaded a pilot awareness raising innovation ‘LET’S CHAT’ a digital tool leveraging the power of AI with the trustworthiness of authentic voices. The tool delivers a personalized conversation with a qualified health expert answering users.
Soroptimist members have positioned themselves to deploy a digital awareness-raising tool, ‘Let’s Chat’, in line with the WHO global elimination strategy. All countries are currently striving to reach the 90-70-90 targets by 2030. Our efforts to reach millions of women will strengthen the world’s chances of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat.
The Soroptimist global network of professional women champion this cause and are mobilizing to reach women across communities and in remote areas to increase uptake of preventative strategies, reducing the spread of HPV and death from cervical cancer.
Our Asks: Health care that prioritises the individual over the disease is not a new concept. It’s widely understood to be an important and effective way to improve health outcomes and the experience of people living with cancer. We ask that priorities shift to;
- Empowering people, families, and communities
- Reconfiguring health systems for a people-focused approach to cancer care
- Educate and engage the health workforce
- Assess and update current practices
- Focus on equitable access and high-quality care for all
In Conclusion, World Cancer Day is a powerful reminder of the need for collective action in the fight against cancer. By spreading awareness, promoting early detection, and adopting preventive measures, we can work together to reduce the impact of this life-altering disease. Remember, every step taken toward better health, whether through lifestyle changes, regular screenings, or supporting cancer research, makes a difference.
Soroptimists worldwide are committed to raising awareness, providing compassionate care and mobilizing communities especially women and girls to access comprehensive screenings and tailor-made care solutions. Take charge of your health today, schedule your appointment with nearest health care facility in your neighbourhood and take the first step toward a cancer-free future.
We call on the governments, organisations, and institutions with the power to make people-centred cancer care a reality, to take urgent action today!
Together We Can Create Change!