News
17 November: what is celebrated today
On 17 November, the calendar fills with life, science and hope. It is a day that brings together the voice of students and the cry of the most fragile newborns; a day when medicine, awareness and education intertwine to remind us that humanity advances only when it cares, teaches and prevents. Today the world turns its gaze to classrooms, hospitals and laboratories: the places where the real battle for the future is fought.
Action Day for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is one of the few diseases the world can — and must — eliminate. The World Health Organization declared this day in 2020 as a symbol of a global mission: to ensure that no woman dies from a preventable and curable disease.
Every HPV vaccine, every medical check-up, every early diagnosis represents a promise kept. From Africa to Europe, buildings are lit up in bluish-green light, the colour of hope. This day is a call to action, a collective voice demanding equal access to prevention and treatment. Because women's health is, in essence, the health of the world.
World Prematurity Day
There is a story of resilience in every incubator. Premature babies, born early, face life with a strength that amazes even doctors. Since 2009, World Prematurity Day has reminded us that each of them deserves attention, care and affection in order to grow.
In 2024, the slogan chosen by the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants was “Access to quality care everywhere”. Behind those words beats a profound truth: being born should not depend on geographical chance. This day celebrates science, but also tenderness: skin-to-skin contact, the first heartbeat shared between mother and baby, that silent spark that defeats fate.
International Students' Day
17 November also belongs to students, heirs to every revolution in thought. The date commemorates the courage of the young Czechoslovaks who, in 1939, stood up to Nazi totalitarianism and paid with their lives.
Today, classrooms around the world are filled with their echo. Being a student is not only about learning, but about questioning. It is not only about passing, but about imagining. In every university, every school, every notebook there is a seed of change. This day reminds us that knowledge is the most powerful weapon for conquering freedom.
International Day to Fight Lung Cancer
The air we breathe can also make us ill. Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of death on the planet, but its story is also made of hope. Prevention, medical advances and public awareness are the keys to reducing its impact.
Avoiding tobacco, caring for the environment, listening to the body: simple gestures that can save thousands of lives. This day invites us to look at the sky with new lungs, free of smoke and guilt. Fighting cancer is fighting for the most basic right: to breathe.
International Smith-Magenis Syndrome Day
Little known but deeply human, Smith-Magenis Syndrome affects chromosome 17 and causes physical and cognitive impairments. It was identified in the 1980s, and since then associations of families and scientists have worked for its visibility.
17 November is a day of empathy: to look beyond the statistics and recognise the people behind the diagnoses. Science, in its essence, seeks not only to cure bodies, but also to understand and support. Every story told, every piece of research funded, is a step towards a fairer and more inclusive society.
European Week for Waste Reduction
Meanwhile, from 16 to 24 November, European Week for Waste Reduction continues, which in 2024 focuses on food waste. On a continent that produces tonnes of food while millions go hungry, reducing waste becomes a moral act.
Reusing, repairing, sharing: simple gestures that trace a possible future. This week, Europe reminds us that sustainability begins on the plate and extends to everyday life as a whole. Caring for the planet is not a fashion, but a way of being grateful for what we have.