AWARENESS

​The calendar is full of special months, weeks, and days that raise awareness for a variety of important health issues and conditions. Times of the year when people, advocacy organizations, and support groups rally around a common cause.
We have listed some below.
​This is not a complete list as new ones are added on a regular basis. 
If there is a special day, week or month for a cause that you know of not listed here, please let us know via email.

JANUARY

  • Cervical Health Awareness Month
  • National Birth Defects Prevention Month
  • National Glaucoma Awareness Month
  • National Stalking Awareness Month
  • Thyroid Awareness Month
  • National Winter Sports TBI Awareness Month
  • National Folic Acid Awareness Week (first full week of January)
  • National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (last week of January)
  • National Hugging Day (January 21)

FEBRUARY

  • American Heart Month
  • AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
  • National Children’s Dental Health Month
  • International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
  • African Heritage & Health Week (first week of February)
  • Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (February 7-14)
  • Eating Disorders Awareness and Screening Week (last week of February)
  • National "Wear Red” Day for women’s heart health (February 5)
  • Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
  • World Cancer Day (February 4)
  • Give Kids a Smile Day (February 5)
  • National Donor Day (February 14)

MARCH

  • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Endometriosis Awareness Month
  • National Kidney Month
  • Multiple Sclerosis Education Month 
  • National Nutrition Month
  • Save Your Vision Month
  • Trisomy Awareness Month
  • Workplace Eye Wellness Month
  • Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 13-19)
  • National Sleep Awareness Week (March 6-13)
  • Brain Awareness Week (March 14-20)
  • National Poison Prevention Week (March 15-21)
  • Purple Day for epilepsy awareness (March 26)
  • National Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
  • National Cheerleader Safety Month
  • Problem Gambling Awareness Month
  • National School Breakfast Week (March 7-11)
  • National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10)
  • World Kidney Day (March 10)
  • National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 20)
  • American Diabetes Alert Day (March 24)
  • World Tuberculosis Day (March 24)
  • Tsunami Preparedness Week (March 27-April 2)

APRIL

  • Alcohol Awareness Month
  • National Autism Awareness Month
  • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
  • National Donate Life Month
  • National Facial Protection Month
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month
  • National Minority Health Month
  • Occupational Therapy Month
  • National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
  • STI Awareness Month
  • Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month of Action
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Day of Action (April 5)
  • Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month
  • Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month
  • Oral Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Public Health Week (first full week of April)
  • Minority Cancer Awareness Week (second full week of April)
  • National Infertility Awareness Week (last full week of April)
  • Every Kid Healthy Week (last full week of April)
  • World Immunization Week (last week of April)
  • National Infant Immunization Week (April 12-23)
  • Air Quality Awareness Week (last week of April)
  • National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
  • National Interprofessional Health Care Month
  • National Youth Violence Prevention Week (April 3-9)
  • National Alcohol Screening Day (April 7)
  • World Health Day (April 7)
  • National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (April 10)
  • World Meningitis Day (April 24)
  • Every Kid Healthy Week (last week of April)

MAY

  • American Stroke Awareness Month (promoted by the National Stroke Association)
  • Arthritis Awareness Month
  • National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
  • Better Hearing and Speech Month
  • National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
  • Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
  • Clean Air Month
  • Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
  • Healthy Vision Month
  • Hepatitis Awareness Month
  • Lupus Awareness Month 
  • Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
  • Mental Health Month
  • National High Blood Pressure Education Month
  • Older Americans Month
  • National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
  • Preeclampsia Awareness Month
  • Ultraviolet Awareness Month
  • Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (first full week of May)
  • Food Allergy Awareness Week (second full week of May)
  • Food Allergy Action Month
  • National Women’s Health Week (begins on Mother’s Day)
  • National Alcohol- and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week (begins on Mother’s Day)
  • National Neuropathy Awareness Week (second full week of May)
  • National Senior Health Fitness Day (last Wednesday of May)
  • World Autoimmune Arthritis Day (May 20)
  • Global Youth Traffic Safety Month
  • National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
  • National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
  • North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (first full week of May)
  • National Bike to School Day (May 4)
  • Hand Hygiene Day (May 5)
  • National Stuttering Awareness Week (May 9-15)
  • National Neuropathy Awareness Week (May 12-16)
  • Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day (April 14)
  • HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (May 18)
  • National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (May 19)
  • National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 22-28)
  • Healthy and Safe Swimming Week (May 23-29)
  • Don’t Fry Day (May 27)
  • World No Tobacco Day (May 31)

JUNE

  • Cataract Awareness Month
  • Fireworks Safety Month (June 1-July 4)
  • Hernia Awareness Month
  • Men’s Health Month
  • Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
  • National Aphasia Awareness Month
  • National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month
  • National Safety Month
  • National Scleroderma Awareness Month
  • Scoliosis Awareness Month (promoted by National Scoliosis Foundation and other scoliosis awareness foundations) 
  • Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week (last week of June)
  • Men’s Health Week (second week of June)
  • National Cancer Survivors Day (first Sunday of June)
  • PTSD Awareness Month
  • Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
  • National Rip Current Awareness Week (June 5-11)
  • National Lightning Safety Awareness Week (June 19-25)
  • World Sickle Cell Day (June 19)

JULY

  • Cord Blood Awareness Month
  • International Group B Strep Throat Awareness Month
  • Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
  • National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month
  • World Hepatitis Day (July 28)

AUGUST

  • World Humanitarian Day - August 19th
  • Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
  • National Breastfeeding Month
  • National Immunization Awareness Month
  • Psoriasis Awareness Month
  • World Breastfeeding Week (first week of August)
  • National Health Center Week (second full week of August)
  • Gastroparesis Awareness Month
  • Contact Lens Health Week (August 22-26)

SEPTEMBER

  • National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
  • Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Food Safety Education Month
  • Fruit and Veggies—More Matters Month
  • Healthy Aging Month
  • National ITP Awareness Month
  • Blood Cancer Awareness Month (promoted by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society)
  • National Cholesterol Education Month
  • Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Recovery Month
  • National Sickle Cell Month
  • National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
  • National Yoga Awareness Month
  • Newborn Screening Awareness Month
  • Whole Grains Month
  • World Alzheimer’s Month
  • Sepsis Awareness Month
  • Usher Syndrome Awareness Day (third Saturday)
  • National Suicide Prevention Week (September 5-11)
  • World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10)
  • World Sepsis Day (September 13)
  • National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
  • National Preparedness Month
  • Pain Awareness Month
  • Sexual Health Awareness Month 
  • Sports Eye Safety Month
  • National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (September 13)
  • Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) Day (September 15)
  • National MIA/POW Day (September 16)
  • National Farm Safety & Health Week (September 18-24)
  • National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (September 18)
  • POW/MIA Recognition Day
  • Get Ready Day (September 20)
  • National School Backpack Awareness Day (September 21)
  • Falls Prevention Day (September 22)
  • Malnutrition Awareness Week (September 26-30)
  • National Women’s Health and Fitness Day (September 28)
  • Gold Star Mother's Day
  • World Rabies Day (September 28)
  • World Heart Day (September 29)
  • Sport Purple for Platelets Day (September 30)
  • Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day (September 30)

OCTOBER

  • National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Make a Difference Day - October 21st
  • National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
  • National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
  • Eye Injury Prevention Month
  • Health Literacy Month
  • Healthy Lung Month
  • Home Eye Safety Month
  • National Physical Therapy Month
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month
  • Spina Bifida Awareness Month (promoted by the Spina Bifida Association)
  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  • Mental Illness Awareness Week (first full week of October)
  • Bone and Joint Health National Action Week (October 12-20)
  • National Health Education Week (third full week of October)
  • International Infection Prevention Week (October 16-22)
  • Respiratory Care Week (last full week of October)
  • Red Ribbon Week (last week of October)
  • World Mental Health Day (October10)
  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (October 15)
  • National Coming Out Day (October 16)
  • National Bullying Prevention Month
  • National Dental Hygiene Month
  • National Medical Librarians Month
  • International Walk to School Day (October 5)
  • National Depression Screening Day (October 6)
  • Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October 13)
  • National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (October 15)
  • World Food Day (October 16)
  • National Healthcare Quality Week (October 17-22)
  • National Health Education Week (October 17-21)
  • World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day (October 19)
  • International Stuttering Awareness Day (October 22)
  • Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31)
  • National Day of the Deployed (USA October 26)
  • World Psoriasis Day (October 29)

NOVEMBER
  • World Kindness Day November 13th
  • 11/28 - Giving Tuesday
  • National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
  • American Diabetes Month
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month
  • Diabetic Eye Disease Month
  • National Epilepsy Awareness Month
  • National Family Caregivers Month
  • National Healthy Skin Month
  • National Hospice Palliative Care Month
  • Lung Cancer Awareness Month
  • Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 
  • National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
  • Prematurity Awareness Month
  • Remembrance Day (WW1) & Veteran's Day November 11
  • GERD Awareness Week (Thanksgiving week)
  • Great American Smokeout (third Thursday of November)
  • World Prematurity Day (November 17)
  • Bladder Health Month
  • International Survivors of Suicide Day (November 19)
  • National Family Health History Day (November 24)

DECEMBER
  • Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week (December 1-7)
  • Safe Toys and Gifts Month
  • National Influenza Vaccination Week (first full week of December)
  • World AIDS Day (December 1)
  • National Handwashing Awareness Week (December 4-10)   

Resources 
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