The First Lady Jeannette Kagame has urged global leaders to enhance awareness that seeks to educate global communities about healthy lifestyles as part of the ways to culminate the epidemic.

Mrs Kagame said this on Thursday, February 4, as Rwanda joined the rest of the world to mark the International World Cancer.

"On this World Cancer Day let us pledge to continue educating our people the importance of living healthy lifestyles which include regular medical check-ups in order for our communities to receive necessary treatment in time,” she said in a tweet.

In Rwanda the day was observed under a three-year theme, ‘I am and I will’, a campaign that culminates this year with a particular focus on the importance of collective action.

The multi-year campaign seeks to highlight the power of concerted efforts and cooperation of all stakeholders, starting from individual and community actions, governments, private sector and regional and international partners.

"Let us remember that behind global cancer statistics is a mother, a father, a sibling or a child whose life will never be the same again after their diagnosis,” Mrs Kagame.

Figures indicate that at least one-third of cancers globally are preventable, according to the World Health Organization.

This, experts argue, demonstrates that not enough has been done to raise public awareness about the disease and ensure that individuals take preventive strategies seriously.

Data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, indicate that in 2018, the world recorded as many as 9.5 million cancer-related deaths, while over 18 million new cases were registered in the same year.

The same research pointed to a more worrying trend, with the number of new cancer cases and deaths per year expected to rise to over 30 million and over 16 million, respectively, by 2040.