World Cancer Day is three months away! Discover what’s new in this second year of the ‘United by Unique’ campaign

World Cancer Day on 4 February 2026 marks the second year of the ‘United by Unique’ campaign promoting a people-centred approach to cancer care. This approach focuses on the needs, values, and active participation of individuals, families, and communities in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care.

World Cancer Day 2025 saw extraordinary global engagement, with over 900 events in 102 countries, and nine million interactions on social media. More than 600 individuals submitted personal stories in text, video, or art format on worldcancerday.org, while over 1,000 took part in the Upside Down Challenge to share how cancer affected their lives and can turn lives upside down.

Taking action on 4 February 2026

Building on this momentum, the second year of the campaign in 2026 is asking the global cancer community to demonstrate what truly makes care person-centred – and what changes are still needed.

As of 4 November 2025, updated campaign materials are available to support individuals and organisations engaging in the campaign. These include action toolkits, custom posters, social media content, and the new official campaign video, which presents first-hand accounts from individuals whose lives were profoundly affected by cancer.

UICC is renewing the call for more story submissions from people living with and affected by cancer. Collecting and amplifying personal stories is a central part of the campaign.

People submitting a story will now also be asked to respond to a few simple questions, which will help UICC better understand what cancer care looks like for individuals in different cultural and socioeconomic contexts.

By telling their stories, people with lived experience can highlight what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change – offering vital insight into the realities of care. These stories not only help empower those who share them, but also inform policy and drive systemic improvements.

New and upated initiatives for 2026

The Upside Down Challenge also returns for a second year. This initiative invites participants to symbolically a picture or video upside down to reflect the disruptive impact of a cancer diagnosis. This year, the challenge features improved materials and new social media filters, making it easier to participate and share stories online.

In a creative collaboration, the campaign is also highlighting a unique photography project titled ‘12 people. 12 cameras. 12 months’, supported by Fujifilm. The project follows a diverse group of individuals affected by cancer over the course of a year, offering a glimpse into their daily lives, challenges, and resilience. This initiative seeks to capture not only the medical realities, but also the emotional and social dimensions of living with cancer.

Participants and supporters are also encouraged to create and share their own campaign materials. The newly available custom poster tool enables users to generate visuals that reflect their personal or organisational message, enhancing local visibility and engagement.

UICC is calling on its members, partners, and the broader health community to make use of the campaign resources and share their stories and activities widely — notably, on the World Cancer Day map of activities.

For more information, to access campaign materials, or to share your story