Cancer Awareness
How Your Community Can Help to Fight the War Against Cancer
With the incidences of cancer growing exponentially, it's time for communities all over the world to fight back.
According to the World Health Organization, globally, the cancer rate could increase by 50% to affect a staggering number of 15 million people by 2020. No matter how gently or sugar coated this information is transmitted, the numbers are alarming.
Now, let's break those numbers down to a more digestible figure:
- According to the Health Insite, an initiative sponsored by the Australian Government, 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women in Australia will be directly affected by cancer in the first 75 years of life.
- In the UK 1 in 3 people will develop cancer during their lives according to National Statistics Online.
- The American Cancer Society's lifetime probability chart (as downloadable from the American Cancer Society - Cancer Statistics 2007 Presentation) states that American men have a 1 in 2 chance of developing cancer while women have a 1 in 3 chance.
These numbers are not encouraging. What can you do about this? The first step is making people aware. Saving the entire world may not be possible (at first), but you can make small changes by starting at home. Why not start with your own community and let the word spread from there?
Here are a few things you can do to help bring cancer awareness to the forefront in your community to help have an impact on reversing the cancer trend:
- Know how cancer is affecting your community. Do a little research. Find out what types of cancers are affecting our area. Get statistics on the cancer trend. If there are 'cancer clusters', provide information. Remember, to quote your sources and provide accurate data. There is nothing worse than trying to rally your community only to find out that there are inaccuracies in your data.
- Provide information on how to prevent cancer. The media and many organizations are getting the word out on how to prevent and minimize chances of developing cancer. Reinforce this public information. Impress upon the community how it eats, sleeps, exercises and handles stress are all factors for taking control of their health.
- Rally the community into sponsoring a cancer charity event. Whether it is a pie eating contest, a walk-a-thon or even a car washing event, use it as a platform to hand out flyers with statistics and prevention information. Be sure to be up front as to where the proceeds will go.
- Teach the children. The future strength of any community is its children. Educate the little ones. Talk to the local school district. Request permission to have someone speak to the elementary, junior high and high school students. Let's face it, with the staggering cancer statistics quoted above, it is highly likely that each student has been affected by the disease in some way. Empower them through education so they can carry the torch to help cancer.
For more fund raising ideas, visit the American Cancer Society website.
