World Cancer Day campaign sees engagement from dawn to dusk across the world

From the early hours in New Zealand to nighttime in Samoa, UICC’s World Cancer Day 2025-2027 ‘United by Unique’ campaign on 4 February saw a continuous stream of activities and events, stories and coverage. The campaign's message of unity and support for a shift of health systems towards people-centred care resonated globally, creating a powerful display of shared experiences and collective action.

The campaign saw participation from countries, communities, organisations, and individuals around the world, with membership engagement a key aspect of the campaign’s success. UICC members organised local activities, ranging from community health fairs and educational workshops to fundraising events, community gatherings, and candlelight vigils, to highlight the challenges they faced in their regions, and to shed light on what people-centred cancer care looks like in their particular contexts.

Partner engagement was also instrumental in the campaign’s success as numerous private companies. healthcare providers, research centres, and non-profit groups, helped to amplify the campaign’s message – at the institutional and individual levels – and extend its reach to a broader audience.

One of the key highlights of the campaign was the launch of hundreds of personal stories shared by people who have experienced cancer, their family and loved ones, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. These stories, featured on the World Cancer Day website and social media platforms, emphasise the need to include the perspective and voices of those affected by cancer. They also serve to inspire and motivate others to take action in reducing the burden of cancer.

Social media played a crucial role in amplifying the campaign’s message. Content referencing the United By Unique campaign theme was shared extensively across multiple platforms, demonstrating widespread engagement and support. Governments in Taiwan, India, Rwanda, the UK, and others took this opportunity to make important announcements about cancer control in their countries.

Press coverage of World Cancer Day has been extensive, with thousands of mentions in countries across the globe, including major news outlets such as Asahi Shimbun, BBC, CNN, Dainik Jagran, EFE, El País, El Tiempo, Ouest France, and News18 India featuring stories about cancer.

“World Cancer Day has become a powerful movement, dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by cancer, and continues to gain remarkable momentum. In 2025, our theme ‘United By Unique’ celebrated each person’s unique journey to ensure that their voices and stories were heard.  The experiences of people around the world with cancer will continue to inspire us and make World Cancer Day a springboard for collective commitment and action.”
– Cary Adams, CEO of UICC

UICC expresses its gratitude to its members and partners, health organisations, civil society, and non-government agencies, businesses, leaders, governments, young people and individuals from all walks of life for their engagement in World Cancer Day.