Lake County Gazette

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) recently marked a day set aside to promote heart health in women and raise awareness of cancer. 

Wilcox shared his message on Facebook, where he talked about both causes and the importance of recognizing each one. 

"Today is World Cancer Day, and it's also Go Red for Women's Health Day," Wilcox wrote in a Feb. 4 Facebook post. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the theme for this year's World Cancer Day was "Closing the Care Gap," an effort to shed light on the fact that comprehensive treatment is more readily available in wealthier countries than in the poorer nations. It also pointed out the drastic difference in survival rates among children diagnosed with cancer in low- and middle-income countries, which is less than 30%, compared to a more-than 80% survival rate in high-income countries. The WHO also highlighted the staunch difference between the services covered in nations with lower incomes and those covered in wealthier countries. 

"Take a moment and say a quick prayer for those currently battling cancer, and while you're at it, please express appreciation toward caregivers who work with these patients," Wilcox wrote in the post 

The Union for International Cancer Control started World Cancer Day 22 years ago. According to the World Cancer Day website, the day is used to raise awareness, promote education, and inspire people and governments to do their part in reducing the risk of cancer. 

"For Go Red Day, if you would like to learn more about the Go Red For Women initiative through the American Heart Association, visit https://www.goredforwomen.org," Wilcox wrote. 

The Go Red for Women campaign launched 18 years ago, according to the organization's website. 

It's celebrated annually on Feb. 4.

The goal of the day is to raise awareness while encouraging women to focus on their heart health.