World Asthma Day 2018 – GINA

May 1: Today is the 20th annual World Asthma Day, an event held each May to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide. World Asthma Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, or GINA (www.ginasthma.org), a World Health Organization collaborative and 501(c)3 organization founded in 1993.

According to WHO estimates, 235 million people suffer from asthma, which can cause wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Although asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to control asthma to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes.1 In the United States, approximately half of people with asthma had at least one asthma attack in 2012. More children (55%) than adults (49%) had an attack.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children. Asthma is not just a public health problem for high income countries: it occurs in all countries regardless of level of development. Over 80% of asthma deaths occurs in low and lower-middle income countries. Asthma is under-diagnosed and under-treated, creating a substantial burden to individuals and families and possibly restricting individuals’ activities for a lifetime.

Asthma attacks cause adults to miss work and children to miss school. These dangerous and sometimes life-threatening episodes reduce the quality of life for people with asthma. The good news is that we can raise awareness about asthma and how it can be controlled. People with asthma can prevent asthma attacks if they learn how to avoid asthma triggers like tobacco smoke, mold, outdoor air pollution, and colds and flu. Asthma episodes can also be prevented by using inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed daily long-term control medicines correctly.

This year’s World Asthma Day theme is “NEVER TOO EARLY, NEVER TOO LATE. It’s always the right time to address airways disease.”” The theme provides a call to action for both patients and healthcare providers worldwide to evaluate symptoms regardless of the timepoint in one’s life they may occur and take actions to ensure that the asthma is controlled.

World Asthma Day was first held in 1998, and has grown each year to become one of the most important Asthma events globally. On World Asthma Day, hundreds of awareness-raising activities will take place in countries all over the world. Further information about GINA and World Asthma Day can be found at GINA’s website: www.ginasthma.org. Documents detailing GINA’s global strategy for diagnosis, management, and prevention of COPD are also available at www.ginasthma.org.

I Can, We Can – World Cancer Day – CANSA

CANSA - World Cancer Day

We Can. I Can: Make an Impact and Lower Cancer Risk

FACT: On 4th February each year, it’s World Cancer Day (WCD).

WHY? To give people, everywhere, a platform to create cancer awareness, sharing knowledge to lower the cancer risk.

World cancer day

CONSIDER: The impact you could make through your family, local school, library, health practitioners, sports clubs, organisations, workplace and social media platforms to get the message out there, potentially saving lives.

PREDICTION: Cancer deaths may increase to over 14 million per year, globally, over the next 10yrs…

Local Cancer Landscape: In South, Africa, cancer is under–reported due to the lack of a comprehensive cancer surveillance system. In 2012, 77 440 cases were referred to the NCR. The latest Stats SA figure shows a steady increase in deaths attributable to cancer from 5.6% in 2006 to 9.1% in 2015.

Global Cancer Landscape:

  • Approximately 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year
  • 4 million of these deaths are premature (aged 30 to 69 years)

ACT: The facts should lead you to act – NOW. What will you do this WCD and beyond to fight cancer in your community? See some great ideas below and join CANSA in being an active participant in the global effort to combat cancer.

We can inspire

World Cancer Day Goals for 2018

The 3 year theme, “I Can.We Can”, concludes in 2018, with the focus being on “inspiring healthy communities”.

View media release: English | Afrikaans

How can you and role players in your local community take hands to lower cancer risk where you live, work and play?

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CANSA urges everyone to be more active – in every sense – in the fight against cancer by incorporating sport-related and wellness activities into daily routines.

Physical activity has been shown to combat cancer, including: lowering cancer risk, and helping cancer patients manage the side-effects of treatment such as fatigue, depression and heart damage.

We can inspire

CANSA will be participating as a member of the Cancer Alliance, in the ‘Patent Reform’ Media Round Table / Webinar, on 30 January 2018, to mark World Cancer Day & raise awareness. We’d love to have you  show your support at the following events:

Schools, libraries, health clinics, service groups, sports clubs and education professionals are encouraged to promote and educate our youth about their health and well-being and WCD is a great opportunity to learn more, take action and engage in this critically important health issue.

We can create healthy schools
I can. We can.

Spread the Word

You can also raise and amplify awareness about fighting cancer with your community and contacts, by downloading these WCD Selfie posters. Print the messages that are meaningful to you, and share your selfie and message, using the hashtags #WorldCancerDay #WeCanICan, on your social media platforms.

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Our Advocacy, Research and Service Delivery team members share their WCD message and encourage you to do the same

Light the Way

Cities and towns provide a valuable platform in promoting and protecting public health. It would be fantastic to add iconic landmarks in South Africa to that list, and light them up in blue on World Cancer DayLet’s light up the way to a world without cancer. City or provincial representatives can contact the closest CANSA Care Centre to make arrangements.

I can. We can.

If you miss the opportunity to create awareness on World Cancer Day, all is not lost! Join us at public Shavathons at local shopping centres countrywide, on the 24th February 2018, and let your hair make a bold statement for you. Shave, spray or donate your hair in honour of cancer Survivors, raising funds for care & support programmes.

Shavathon 2018
 We look forward to seeing how you choose to participate in World Cancer Day – let’s see #WorldCancerDay and #WeCanICan trending!