These days, every day of the year is a day to celebrate. From Christmas to National Ice Cream Day, from Mother’s Day to International Puppy Day, our calendars have become filled with themed so called hashtag holidays. However, healthcare is no different. Awareness can not just be created by ultra marathon runners, dedicated walkers, and charity fundraisers. There are specific health awareness holidays to generate public buzz too. As a health marketer, your media plan should include these dates. Here is a list of the most common health specific awareness days. Let’s make an impact and spread the word for better health outcomes.

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January

• Cervical Health Awareness Month
• National Birth Defects Prevention Month
• National Glaucoma Awareness Month
• National Radon Action Month
• National Stalking Awareness Month
• National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month
• Thyroid Awareness Month
• National Folic Acid Awareness Week (Jan. 7–13)
• National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (Jan. 22–27)

February

• AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
• American Heart Month
• International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
• National Children’s Dental Health Month
• Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
• African Heritage and Health Week (first week of February)
• National “Wear Red” Day for women’s heart health (Feb. 1)
• Give Kids a Smile Day (Feb. 1)
• World Cancer Day (Feb. 4)
• Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (Feb. 7–14)
• National Donor Day (Feb. 14)
• Condom Week (Feb. 14–21)
• Eating Disorders Awareness and Screening Week (Feb. 25–March 3)

March

• Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month
• National Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
• National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• National Endometriosis Awareness Month
• National Kidney Month
• National Nutrition Month
• National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
• Save Your Vision Month
• Trisomy Awareness Month
• World Kidney Day (March 14)
• World Sleep Day (March 15)
• National School Breakfast Week (March 4–8)
• National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10)
• Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 10–16)
• National Sleep Awareness Week (March 3–10)
• Brain Awareness Week (March 11–17)
• National Poison Prevention Week (March 17–23)
• National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 20)
• World Tuberculosis Day (March 24)
• American Diabetes Alert Day (March 26)
• Purple Day for epilepsy awareness (March 26)

April

• Alcohol Awareness Month
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month
• National Autism Awareness Month
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• National Donate Life Month
• National Facial Protection Month
• National Minority Health Month
• National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
• Occupational Therapy Month
• Oral Cancer Awareness Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• STD Awareness Month
• Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month
• National Public Health Week (April 1–7)
• National Alcohol Screening Day (April 11)
• Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Day (April 5)
• World Health Day (April 7)
• National Youth Violence Prevention Week (April 8–12)
• National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (April 10)
• National Infertility Awareness Week (April 21–27)
• Every Kid Healthy Week (April 22–26)
• World Meningitis Day (April 24)
• National Infant Immunization Week (April 26–May 3)
• National Minority Cancer Awareness Week (TBA)
• World Immunization Week (TBA)

May

• American Stroke Awareness Month
• Arthritis Awareness Month
• Better Hearing and Speech Month
• Clean Air Month
• Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
• Food Allergy Action Month
• Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
• Healthy Vision Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• International Mediterranean Diet Month
• Lupus Awareness Month
• Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
• Mental Health Month
• National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
• National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
• National High Blood Pressure Education Month
• National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
• National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
• Ultraviolet Awareness Month
• National Physical Education and Sport Week (May 1–7)
• World Hand Hygiene Day (May 5)
• North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (May 5–11)
• National Stuttering Awareness Week (May 5–11)
• Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day (May 11)
• National Women’s Health Week (May 12–18)
• National Alcohol- and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week (May 12–18)
• HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (May 18)
• National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (May 19)
• World Autoimmune Arthritis Day (May 20)
• Don’t Fry Day (May 24)
• National Senior Health Fitness Day (May 29)
• Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (TBA)
• Food Allergy Awareness Week (TBA)
• National Hurricane Preparedness Week (TBA)
• National Neuropathy Awareness Week (TBA)
• World Preeclampsia Day (TBA)

June

• Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
• Cataract Awareness Month
• 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
• National Cancer Survivors Day (June 2)
• Men’s Health Week (June 10–16)
• World Sickle Cell Day (June 19)
• Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week (June 23–29)
• PTSD Awareness Day (June 27)

July

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

August

• Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
• Gastroparesis Awareness Month
• National Breastfeeding Month
• National Immunization Awareness Month
• Psoriasis Awareness Month
• World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1–7)
• National Health Center Week (Aug. 4–10)

September

• Blood Cancer Awareness Month
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• Healthy Aging Month
• National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
• National Cholesterol Education Month
• National Food Safety Education Month
• National ITP Awareness Month
• National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
• National Preparedness Month
• National Recovery Month
• National Sickle Cell Month
• National Yoga Awareness Month
• Newborn Screening Awareness Month
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Month
• Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
• Sepsis Awareness Month
• Sexual Health Awareness Month
• Sports Eye Safety Month
• World Alzheimer’s Month
• Usher Syndrome Awareness Day (third Saturday)
• National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 8–14)
• World Suicide Prevention Day (Sept. 10)
• World Sepsis Day (Sept. 13)
• National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (Sept. 13)
• National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (Sept. 18)
• National School Backpack Awareness Day (Sept. 18)
• Falls Prevention Day (Sept. 23)
• Malnutrition Awareness Week (Sept. 23–27)
• National Women’s Health and Fitness Day (Sept. 25)
• Sport Purple for Platelets Day (Sept. 27)
• World Rabies Day (Sept. 28)
• Family Health and Fitness Day (Sept. 28)
• World Heart Day (Sept. 29)

October

• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Eye Injury Prevention Month
• Health Literacy Month
• Healthy Lung Month
• Home Eye Safety Month
• National ADHD Awareness Month
• National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• National Dental Hygiene Month
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• National Medical Librarians Month
• National Physical Therapy Month
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
• Spina Bifida Awareness Month
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month
• World Cerebral Palsy Day (Oct. 6)
• Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 6–12)
• World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10)
• National Depression Screening Day (Oct. 10)
• Bone and Joint Health National Action Week (Oct. 12–20)
• Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (Oct. 13)
• International Infection Prevention Week (Oct. 13–19)
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (Oct. 15)
• National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (Oct. 15)
• World Food Day (Oct. 16)
• World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day (Oct. 19)
• Respiratory Care Week (Oct. 20–26)
• National Health Education Week (Oct. 21–25)
• National Healthcare Quality Week (Oct. 20–26)
• International Stuttering Awareness Day (Oct. 22)
• World Psoriasis Day (Oct. 29)

November

• American Diabetes Month
• Bladder Health Month
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month
• Diabetic Eye Disease Month
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month
• National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
• National Epilepsy Awareness Month
• National Family Caregivers Month
• National Healthy Skin Month
• National Hospice Palliative Care Month
• National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
• Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
• Prematurity Awareness Month
• World Prematurity Day (Nov. 17)
• Great American Smokeout (Nov. 21)
• International Survivors of Suicide Day (Nov. 23)
• GERD Awareness Week (Nov. 24–30)
• National Family Health History Day (Nov. 28)
• World Antibiotic Awareness Week (TBA)

December

• World AIDS Day (Dec. 1)
• National Handwashing Awareness Week (Dec. 1–7)

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