Health Awareness days - HealthyLife

National Health Observances (NHOs) are special days, weeks, or months dedicated to raising awareness about important health topics.

January

Cervical Health Awareness Month

National Birth Defects Prevention

National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Thyroid Awareness Month

National Winter Sports TBI Awareness Month

National Folic Acid Awareness Week (second week of January)

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)

Condom Week (week of Valentine’s Day)

Eating Disorders Awareness Week (last week of February)

National “Wear Red” Day (first Friday of February) 

March

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

National Endometriosis Awareness Month

National Kidney Month

Multiple Sclerosis Education Month

National Nutrition Month

Save Your Vision Month

Sleep Awareness Month (promoted by the National Sleep Foundation)

Patient Safety Awareness Week (first full week of March)

National Sleep Awareness Week (the week before daylight savings switch)

Brain Awareness Week (second full week of March)

National Poison Prevention Week (third full week of March)

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) Month

National Minority Health Month

Occupational Therapy Month

National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month

STI Awareness Month

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month

Women’s Eye Health and Safety 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 (generally last week of April)

Air Quality Awareness 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

Children’s Mental Health Week

Clean Air Month

Global Employee Health and Fitness Month

Healthy Vision Month

Hepatitis Awareness Month

National Mediterranean Diet Month

Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

Mental Health Month

National High Blood Pressure Education Month

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month

Ultraviolet Awareness Month

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (first full week of May)

Food Allergy Awareness Week (second full week of May)

National Women’s Health Week (begins on Mother’s Day)

National Alcohol and Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week (mother’s day beginning)

National Neuropathy Awareness Week (second full week of May)

National Senior Health Fitness Day (last Wednesday of May)

June

Cataract Awareness Month

Fireworks Safety Month (through 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

Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week

Men’s Health Week (second week of June)

National Cancer Survivors Day (first Sunday of June)

July

Cord Blood Awareness Month

International Group B Strep Throat Awareness Month

Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month

August

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

National Breastfeeding Month

National Immunization Awareness Month

Psoriasis Awareness Month

World Breastfeeding Week (first week of August)

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 Awarenss Month

Whole Grains Month

World Alzheimer’s Month

Sepsis Awareness Month

National Suicide Prevention Week

World Suicide Prevention Day (10)

World Sepsis Day (13)

October

National Breast Cancer Awareness

National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Eye Injury Prevention Month

Health Literacy Month

Healthy Lung Month

Home Eye Safety Month

National Physical Therapy Month

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 Awareness Week (12-20)

National Health Education Week (third full week of October)

International Infection Prevention Week (third full week of October)

Respiratory Care Week (last full week of October)

Red Ribbon Week (last week of October)

World Mental Health Day (10)

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (15)

November

National Alzheimer’s disease Awareness Month

COPD Awareness Month

Diabetic Eye Disease Month

National Family Caregivers Month

National Healthy Skin Month

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month

Prematurity Awareness Month

GERD Awareness Week (Thanksgiving week)

Great American Smokeout (third Thursday of November)

World Prematurity Day (17)

December

Safe Toys and Gifts Month

National Influenza Vaccination Week (first full week of December)

World AIDS Day (1)

Source: http://healthfinder.gov/nho/

Image credit: Photo by Garrett Jackson on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)