Every year, February 4 is being celebrated as the World Cancer Day. Background World Cancer Day was born on the 4 February 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. The Paris Charter aims to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, raise awareness and mobilise the global community to make progress against cancer, and includes the adoption of World Cancer Day. World Cancer Day is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the largest and oldest international cancer organisation dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda. Theme for 2026 : United by Unique The new World Cancer Day campaign 2025-27 “United by Unique” places people at the centre of care and will explore new ways of making a difference. It offers a three- year journey from raising awareness to taking action." Cancer is more than just a medical diagnosis — it’s a deeply personal matter. Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story - stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and more. That’s why a people-centred approach to cancer care that fully integrates each individual’s unique needs, with compassion and empathy, leads to the best health outcomes. Every experience with cancer is unique and it will take all of us, united, to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient. This World Cancer Day, let's come together to rewrite the future of cancer care - one where the needs of people and communities come first. What need to be done People-centred care is about reorienting healthcare around people instead of diseases. It recognises that every person is unique, values their lived experience, and empowers them to actively participate in the decisionmaking process. It engages individuals, but also families and wider communities beyond the clinical setting: an approach that can improve health literacy and cancer prevention. Patient-centred care focuses specifically on the individual as a patient within the healthcare system. Person-centred care considers the individual holistically, within the broader context of their life. People-centred care focuses on the health and well-being of entire populations or communities, aiming to improve healthcare systems and access for all. All approaches are essential for delivering comprehensive and effective healthcare, and while the World Cancer Day campaign theme particularly highlights ‘people-centred care’, it does, of course, encompass the key elements and driving force of person- and patient-centred care approaches. Source : World Cancer Day website Related resources Understanding Cancer National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases