World Cancer Day
Closing the Cancer Care Gap Starts with You

#CloseTheCareGap  #WorldCancerDay
#BalancedLifestyle  #LowerCancerRisk  #CANSACares

This is the second year of the three year campaign headed by this theme.

CANSA and the UICC challenge individuals to lower their personal cancer risk through healthy living.

• This year’s World Cancer Day’s theme, ‘Close the Care Gap, is all about uniting our voices’ and taking action.
• Whoever you are, you have the power to reduce the impact of cancer for yourself and the people you love.
• The top three known changeable risk factors worldwide for cancer are smoking, alcohol consumption and high body weight (BMI 30 and above). Nearly half the deaths due to cancer, worldwide are due to these factors.
• This means that individuals can play a significant role in lowering their cancer risk, by avoiding these carcinogens and through a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

In South Africa, being overweight and obese are a growing public health concern. Their incidence is rising and among the highest in sub–Saharan Africa.

PACK MY PLATE HEALTHY EATING

Get moving!

Grab a buddy and take part in a 5 km challenge for CANSA to highlight World Cancer Day.

• It’s simple, close a loop of 5 km, by walking, hiking, running, swimming or even dancing.
• Then record it on your favourite fitness tracker, post it on your social media platform of choice and nominate 5 others to take up the challenge and help spread the word.

We also encourage you to donate R50 (or any amount) towards CANSA’s health education initiatives and care and support programmes. You can support your region or make a general donation to CANSA.

Invest in Your Health with Tips from CANSA

CANSA recommends investing in your health and staying the course for the year ahead. Simple actions can include:

1. Take CANSA’s free online Lifestyle Risk Assessment and sign up for the WCD Health Challenge receiving practical guidance per email to improve your health.
2. Participate in the Lace Up For Cancer event (the World Cancer Day team will be crossing live to us as part of their livestream at the starting line between 07:30 and 08:00) or the WCD 5 km Challenge on WCD, 4 February 2023.
3. Get moving – 150 minutes per week is all that is necessary (see CANSA’s Seal partners in the physical activity category for ideas).
4. Pack a healthy lunch – get your share of fruit and vegetables for the day when you pack this meal (see CANSA’s Seal partners in the edible goods category for ideas and more information on the CANSA website).
5. Go for regular cancer screening at a CANSA Care Centre or medical institution or government clinic and know the signs of cancer – don’t delay in investigating changes in your body.

What Public Health Authorities Can Do

• CANSA encourages public health authorities to educate consumers regarding the health risks posed by unhealthy products, including ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages and to offer guidelines on healthier alternatives.
• This is especially in view of the fact that colorectal cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among men and the third prevalent among women in South Africa (National Cancer Registry 2019), and that these risk factors have been shown to increase risk for this type of cancer.

How CANSA Works to Lower Your Cancer Risk

• CANSA aims to educate the public around edible products which help lower cancer risk and promote physical activity through its Seal of Recognition Programme. Products have gone through stringent testing to be approved as Seal partners. Shoppers can look out for the CANSA Seal on labels and know they are making a smart choice in terms of the products they are buying.
• It further educates the public through its Balanced Lifestyle campaign regarding the importance of a balanced diet and regular physical activity and the free online Lifestyle Risk Assessment tool helps to identify factors that put individuals at risk for cancer.
• As proud partner of World Cancer Day, we make it our mission to help everyone access cancer care. Part of our ongoing cancer training is with Traditional Health Practitioners  on the most common cancers affecting men and women in SA to enable early detection and timeous treatment.
• We further lobby at government level for change and have supported efforts to pass the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill to improve health for our citizens.

Closing the Cancer Care Gap
starts with YOU!