Mark Your Calendars!
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at HHS has recently released the 2012 calendar of National Health Observances. Many of these days, weeks, and months align closely with the efforts of Community Health Centers to promote wellness and preventative care. Many are also covered to varying degrees by local and national media, so they are great opportunities for Community Health Centers to show their value in educating the public about preventative care and wellness.
We encourage you to take a look through the calendar now and see what your health center can plan to do throughout the year. It’s important to also communicate about these events — so let your local news outlets know what you’re doing. Often, local broadcast, print and online journalists look for ways to add a local angle to a national story, so make your health center and event that local angle.
In addition to the observances on the calendar, remember to mark National Health Center Week, which is from August 5-11 in 2012.
Remember to check out NACHC’s Media Toolkit for Health Centers for sample press releases for many of these observances.
Preventative Care National Health Observances Calendar for 2012
January
1 – 31
Cervical Health Awareness Month
National Cervical Cancer Coalition
1 – 31
National Birth Defects Prevention Month
National Birth Defects Prevention Network
1 – 31
National Glaucoma Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness America
8 – 14
National Folic Acid Awareness Week
National Council on Folic Acid / Spina Bifida Association
February
1 – 29
Heart Month
American Heart Association
1 – 29
International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
Group B Strep International
1 – 29
National Children’s Dental Health Month
American Dental Association
3
National Wear Red Day
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center
March
1 – 31
National Nutrition Month
American Dietetic Association
8
World Kidney Day
National Kidney Foundation
10
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Office on Women’s Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
20
National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
27
American Diabetes Alert Day
American Diabetes Association
April
1 – 30
National Autism Awareness Month
The Autism Society
1 – 30
National Minority Health Month
Office of Minority Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
1 – 30
STI Awareness Month
American Social Health
1 – 30
Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month
Prevent Blindness America
2 – 8
National Public Health Week
American Public Health Association
21 – 28
National Infant Immunization Week
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
24
World Meningitis Day
Confederation of Meningitis Organization
May
1 – 31
Arthritis Awareness Month
Arthritis Foundation
1 – 31
Hepatitis Awareness Month
Hepatitis Foundation International
1 – 31
Lupus Awareness Month
Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
1 – 31
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
American Academy of Dermatology
1 – 31
Mental Health Month
Mental Health America
1 – 31
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center
1 – 31
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
National Osteoporosis Foundation
1 – 7
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week
National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
13 – 19
National Women’s Health Week
Office on Women’s Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
14
National Women’s Check-up Day
Office on Women’s Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
18
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
19
National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
The Banyan Tree Project
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
31
World No Tobacco Day
Pan American Health Organization
June
11 – 17
Men’s Health Week
Men’s Health Network
27
National HIV Testing Day
National Association of People with AIDS
July
28
World Hepatitis Day
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
August
5-11
National Health Center Week
National Association of Community Health Centers
1 – 31
National Immunization Awareness Month
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
September
1 – 30
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
American College of Sports Medicine
1 – 30
National Cholesterol Education Month
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center
1 – 30
National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
National Pediculosis Association, Inc.
1 – 30
National Sickle Cell Month
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
1 – 30
Newborn Screening Awareness Month
Save Babies Through Screening Foundation, Inc.
1 – 30
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
1 – 30
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer
18
Get Ready Day
American Public Health Association
27
National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Association of People with AIDS
29
World Heart Day
World Heart Federation
October
1 – 31
Health Literacy Month
Health Literacy Consulting
1 – 31
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Board of Sponsors
1
Child Health Day
Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
7
Mental Illness Awareness Week
National Alliance on Mental Illness
15
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
Latino Commission on AIDS
November
1 – 30
American Diabetes Month
American Diabetes Association
1 – 30
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lung Cancer Alliance
1 – 30
National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Alzheimer’s Association
1 – 30
National Healthy Skin Month
American Academy of Dermatology
15
Great American Smokeout
American Cancer Society
December
1
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Campaign
Hi,
I see a few broken links on this page. How can I find Contact information to report them?
Thanks 🙂
Ryan, Outreach Coordinator
ryan@alltreatment.com
You can contact asimmons@nachc.org