Health Calendar
JANUARY
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
January 1-31 | Veganuary | Find new, delicious and healthy foods by going vegan in January. By doing this, you’ll have a hugely positive effect on the environment. |
January 31 | World Leprosy Day | World Leprosy Day is recognised around the world each year on the last Sunday of January. The day helps to raise awareness about the disease and attempts to change attitudes that marginalise those affected by leprosy across the globe. |
FEBRUARY
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
February 4 | World Cancer Day is organised by the Union for International Cancer Control and helps educate people on different aspects of the disease through education and information. | |
February 14 | Wear red this 14 February to help raise awareness for cardiovascular disease. This day is supported by Heart Research Australia. | |
February 1-7 | Tinnitus Awareness Week | Tinnitus Awareness Week (TAW) helps raise awareness of tinnitus and the huge effect it can have on people’s day-to-day lives. Help raise awareness of the work being carried out and the essential support provided this year. |
February 24 | Teal Ribbon Day | Teal Ribbon Day is held on the last Wednesday of February and invites Australians to buy and wear a teal ribbon in support of raising awareness for Ovarian Cancer Australia. You can get your Teal Ribbon directly from Ovarian Cancer Australia or from Chemmart Pharmacies, Spotlight and Brazilian Butterfly. |
February 14 | Sweetheart Day | HeartKids Australia launched Sweetheart Day to raise awareness of childhood heart disease and to encourage donations to continue their work providing support and advocacy, growing awareness and enabling further research into children’s heart disorders. |
February 28 | Rare Diseases Day | Rare Disease Day is an annual event coordinated by EURORDIS and aimed at raising awareness on a national level about rare diseases. |
February 1-28 | Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month | Around 1,550 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia each year, with more than two-thirds at an advanced stage. Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is all about helping people get tested earlier to prevent this as well as providing support to patients and families. |
February 14 | National Condom Day | National Condom Day takes place, rather appropriately, on Valentine’s Day to help promote the importance of sexual protection, sexual health and family planning. |
February 1-28 | International Childhood Heart Disease (CHD) Awareness Day | HeartKids raises awareness for children’s heart disease and works towards reducing the occurrence of the disease. It provides irreplaceable support for children with heart disease and their families as well as those who have lost young children. |
February 18 | International Asperger’s Day | International Asperger’s Day highlights the importance of Asperger’s syndrome for individuals and society more generally, looking at the positive changes that can be made and helping us gain a better understanding of the autism spectrum. |
February 1-28 | Heart Research Month | Heart Research Month raises awareness on the importance of life-saving heart research, including preventing, diagnosing and treating heart disease. “Day of Hearts” Day is celebrated on 14 February and encourages us all to take care of our hearts. |
February 7-13 | Feeding Tube Awareness Week promotes the positive benefits of feeding tubes by educating people on why these life-saving medical devices are so important. | |
February 1-28 | FebruDAREy | You can raise money this February by daring someone. Create your dare and get your friends to donate – the larger the dare, the more money you’ll make! |
February 1-28 | FebFast | FebFast is all about giving people the skills and the know-how to break the habits that inhibit their wellbeing, such as alcohol and sugar addiction. |
February 1-28 | Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late | Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late aims to encourage more Aussies to get screened for bowel cancer so that they can get treated early and increase their chances of successful treatment. |
MARCH
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
March 1-7 | This annual event helps bring hearing impairments to the attention of local communities. | |
March 1-10 | The Bloody Long Walk | The Bloody Long Walk is a 35km walking challenge in Melbourne that raises money to find a cure for mitochondrial disease (mito). |
March 1-31 | National Epilepsy Awareness Month | You can wear purple in support of National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Throughout the month, there are lots of community activities, media campaigns and events going on to help spread awareness, including Purple Day on 26 March. |
March 5 | March into Yellow | The March into Yellow challenge raises the profile and awareness of endometriosis, a common and often debilitating disease that affects 1 in 10 Australian women. The event encourages people to wear yellow and raise money to support finding a cure and to support women suffering from the disease. |
March 7-13 | World Glaucoma Week | World Glaucoma Week builds awareness of the leading cause of irreversible blindness. The week raises funds to advance research on glaucoma. |
March 9 | The National Network of Women Living with HIV Day was started in 2016 to help highlight and bring attention to women suffering from the disease. | |
March 10-14 | World’s Greatest Shave | Every hour someone in Australia is diagnosed with a blood disorder disease, and every second hour, someone dies from the disease. The World’s Greatest Shave has raised over $120 million since 1998. The money raised goes to support individuals and their families living with lymphoma, myeloma or leukaemia and helps support blood cancer research. |
March 11 | This global awareness campaign focuses its attention on raising awareness for chronic kidney disease, helping people learn more about how to prevent and treat the disease. | |
March 13-20 | This annual event raises awareness of how to spot the symptoms of coeliac disease. It also provides insight into diagnosis, prevention and treatment. | |
March 21 | World Down Syndrome Day | Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement and has always been a part of the human condition. World Down Syndrome Day helps raise awareness of how important access to health care, intervention programs and inclusive education is to the wellbeing of someone with Down syndrome. |
March 21-28 | Multiple Birth Awareness Week | Multiple Birth Awareness Week celebrates families raising twins, triplets and beyond. It also looks at the challenges that come with raising young children. |
March 24 | World Tuberculosis Day | World Tuberculosis Day is about educating and making people aware of how common tuberculosis is and how it is responsible for the deaths of several million people every year. The day also raises funds to help eliminate tuberculosis as a public health issue in developing countries. |
March 25 | FND Australia Awareness Day | Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a neurological disorder affecting motor, movement and sensory functions of the body. It is the second most common reason for referral to neurology departments worldwide. Despite the prevalence of FND, awareness and understanding of the condition remains limited across the globe. FND Australia Support Services Inc is a non-profit charity registered with the ACNC. From the UK to Australia, FND support services aim to unite voices across oceans and borders in raising #Voices4FND. |
APRIL
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
April 2 | Go Blue for Autism | World Autism Awareness Day promotes autism awareness by encouraging everyone to don blue. |
April 7 | This event marks the establishment of the World Health Organisation. Each year, World Health Day rallies behind a specific health issue in order to raise awareness of the health issue. | |
April 11 | World Parkinson’s Day | World Parkinson’s Day raises funds and awareness to help look for a cure. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurological condition that has a serious impact on an ageing population, with 25 Australians diagnosed every day. Around 80,000 Australians currently live with the condition. |
April 13 | Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day | Approximately 1 in 20 children are born with a genetic disorder, though diagnosis is often rare. Of the children who present to geneticists with syndromic features, 60% may not ever receive a diagnosis. Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day works to change this |
April 13 | Wear Green for Premmies | The Wear Green for Premmies campaign is a day in which you can wear green to show your support for the 25,000 babies born prematurely in Australia every year. |
April 24-30 | Run by the World Health Organisation, this event promotes the life-saving benefits of vaccinations for people around the world and of all ages. | |
April 25 | Another World Health Organisation-backed campaign that aims for a 90% reduction in malaria by 2030. | |
April 28 | Sponsored by the International Labour Organisation, this event aims to improve awareness of work-related safety, accidents and diseases worldwide. | |
April 1-30 | Adenomyosis Awareness Month | Adenomyosis Awareness Month aims to educate and spread the word about adenomyosis by encouraging others to speak up about their experiences. |
MAY
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
May 1-31 | Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month | Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month aims to provide information to people and healthcare professionals, so they can learn and understand more about what exactly neurofibromatosis (NF) is. |
May 1-31 | Art for Epilepsy | Art for Epilepsy raises money by getting Australian artists to create artwork and sell them for epilepsy. |
May 1-31 | Miracle Month of May | This raises awareness and funds for premature and sick newborn babies as well as their families and the hospitals that take care of them. |
May 1-31 | Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month | The Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month helps raise awareness for the 13 multi-systemic, heritable disorders that affect connective tissue, the most abundant tissue in the body. Severe ailments include Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which involves fragile blood vessels and can cause internal organs to spontaneously rupture. |
May 1-31 | Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month | Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month raises awareness for inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), which more than 5 million people live with. |
May 5-11 | Tourette Syndrome Awareness Week | Tourette Syndrome Awareness Week teaches us more about what Tourette syndrome is and tackles stigmas created by false information about the disorder. |
May 5 | Organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma, World Asthma Day improves awareness around the world. | |
May 6 | International No Diet Day | International No Diet Day (INDD) celebrates body acceptance and diversity. It encourages us all to have a healthy relationship with food and exercise as well as our body, no matter what our size or shape. |
May 8 | International Thalassaemia Day | Patients with thalassaemia can suffer from anaemia and many other complications as a result of inadequate red blood cells. International Thalassaemia Day is celebrated every year to commemorate patients and raise awareness of the condition to improve patient care and research. |
May 8 | World Red Cross Day | This day takes place on the day Red Cross founder Henry Dunant was born, and it celebrates the incredible work done by Red Cross staff and volunteers. |
May 10 | World Lupus Day | World Lupus Day raises awareness about this autoimmune disease and looks at the way in which it may cause abnormalities in vital organs like the kidneys, lungs and brain. |
May 12 | International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) helps raise awareness about a number of diseases including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), Gulf War syndrome (GWS) and multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). The date was chosen as the official day as it’s the birthday of Florence Nightingale who was believed to have suffered from ME/CFS. Around 12 May each year, buildings and landmarks around Australia light up in blue to raise awareness about ME/CFS. | |
May 15-19 | Myopia Awareness Week | This week helps raise awareness for myopia throughout Australian communities. It draws attention to the essential role optometrists continue to play in altering the way we approach and treat myopia. |
May 15 | Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Global Awareness Day | Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Global Awareness Day raises awareness for a rare disease that affects more than 2,000 people in Australia. |
May 17-20 | This week-long event aims to educate Australians about the risks and impacts of pneumonia. | |
May 19 | World IBD Day is organised by patient organisations and fights for those suffering from inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn’s disease. | |
May 23-29 | Schizophrenia Awareness Week | Schizophrenia Awareness Week tackles the stigmatised and marginalised individuals living with schizophrenia throughout Australia. The week aims to teach people more about the facts and work towards dispelling the myths. |
May 23-29 | Organised by Palliative Care Australia and supported by the Department of Health, this week of events draws attention to how important palliative care is for people affected by chronic diseases. | |
May 25 | World Thyroid Day campaigns for those suffering from this disease and recognises the medical professionals worldwide who are fighting it. | |
May 25-31 | Kidney Health Week | One in three Australians have an increased risk of kidney disease. Kidney Health Week is a national campaign run at a grassroots level that raises awareness of the importance of our kidneys while shining a light on the prevention and early detection of kidney disease. |
May 25-31 | Exercise Right Week | This event aims to motivate more Australians to get fit by teaching them about the benefits of exercise and how they can create their own regimes and exercise plans. |
May 25-31 | Spinal Health Week | Spinal Health Week raises awareness of the importance of spinal health, which can have a huge impact on improving our overall health and wellbeing. |
May 30 | World MS Day focuses on improving the quality of life for those suffering from MS and helps teach people more about the disease. | |
May 31 | This is an annual event aiming to show the harm the tobacco industry poses to the sustainable development of nations. |
JUNE
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
June 1-30 | Bowel Cancer Awareness Month | Bowel cancer is a common diagnosis in Australia. It is potentially one of the most preventable cancers through the early detection of abnormalities from screening. |
June 1-30 | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus that infects people of all ages and is the leading preventable viral cause of developmental disabilities. CMV Month raises awareness of CMV in an attempt to improve lives and teach people about the virus. |
June 1-7 | Orthoptic Awareness Week | Orthoptic Awareness Week is held each year by the Orthoptic Association of Australia and helps promote the importance of taking care of your eyes with regular eye examinations. |
June 1-7 | Haemochromatosis Awareness Week | Haemochromatosis Awareness Week raises awareness of haemochromatosis, or inherited iron overload disorder, by teaching communities more about the condition. |
June 7-13 | Heart Rhythm Week | Arrhythmias are responsible for between 23,000 and 33,000 sudden cardiac arrest deaths each year. Many of these deaths could be avoided with greater public awareness of their risks and symptoms, which is where Heart Rhythm week looks to make a difference. |
June 13-19 | World Allergy Week | World Allergy Week raises awareness of the impact of allergies with a campaign that supports and funds research into allergies. You can participate by wearing a spot of red in your home, school or workplace. |
June 14 | World Blood Donor Day | World Blood Donor Day aims to remind us all about the importance of blood donations and how much more blood is needed to help all those who need it. |
June 14-20 | International Men’s Health Week | International Men’s Health Week promotes awareness of the importance of good health in men, boys and their families. |
June 16 | By purchasing the red apple pin, Australians can help awareness for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. | |
June 19 | World Sickle Cell Day | Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder where abnormal haemoglobin is produced. World Sickle Cell Day was established to raise awareness of the disease to improve treatment and help find a cure. |
June 21 | International Day of Yoga | The word “yoga” comes from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite. International Day of Yoga promotes the importance of the union between the body and consciousness to help us all lead a healthier life. |
June 23-27 | Infant Mental Health Awareness Week | Infant Mental Health Awareness Week encourages government, industry and consumers to look at the needs of babies and toddlers and to invest in the essential services that support children in their earliest years. |
June 29 | World Scleroderma Day | Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease. World Scleroderma Day highlights the brave people living with this disease to demand equal treatment and care for people with scleroderma. |
JULY
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
July 1-31 | Dry July | Dry July is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at improving the lives of adults living with cancer. Giving up alcohol for the month of July is a good way to raise awareness of individual drinking habits and the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle. |
July 14-20 | 1.1 million Australians live with diabetes. National Diabetes Week is a fundraising event that helps to raise awareness and work towards prevention. | |
July 15-21 | National Wound Awareness Week | Around 300,000 Australians suffer lower leg ulcers that require regular care. The Australian Wound Management Association works with nurses, doctors and health members to bring about better care for all sufferers, most of whom are elderly. |
July 22-28 | National Pain Week | National Pain Week aims to contribute to the de-stigmatisation of the experience of chronic pain. |
July 26 | Crazy Hair Day | Crazy Hair Day is a day where you go crazy with your hair. This annual fundraising event is organised by Cystic Fibrosis Victoria (CFV) and is a fun way to engage schools, raise awareness and celebrate the start of the new term. |
July 28 – August 4 | This week-long event aims to promote the critical importance of organ and tissue donation. | |
July 28 | World Hepatitis Day | With lots of local events, World Hepatitis Day aims to raise awareness of hepatitis in Australia and worldwide. |
July 30 | Gastroschisis Awareness Day | Gastroschisis is a birth defect that causes the intestines to protrude from a hole in the abdomen. There is still a 10% mortality rate due to complications or related defects and infections. The condition affects 1 out of every 2,229 babies according to the CDC. Gastroschisis Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of the issue and find solutions. |
AUGUST
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
August 1-7 | An annual event every first week in August, aiming to highlight the benefits that breastfeeding can bring. | |
August 1-7 | National EOS Awareness Week | National EOS Awareness Week is a full week that helps raise awareness for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders in Australia. |
August 1-31 | We’ll Make a Change | Through a series of events, business leaders help raise money to support the vital work of CPL and create new opportunities for Queenslanders living with a disability. |
August 1-31 | MS Readathon – One month challenge | The MS Readathon is a reading-based fundraiser run by Multiple Sclerosis Australia (MSA). It encourages people of all ages to read and improve their literacy while raising community awareness of those living with MS. |
August 2 | Jeans for Genes Day is a huge fundraising event for the Children’s Medical Research Institute. The day aims to work towards reducing the number of children born with genetic illnesses. | |
August 2-8 | Everyone is encouraged to visit their dentist or find a new one during this yearly event. | |
August 4-10 | OCD and Anxiety Disorders Week | Anxiety Disorders Week is an awareness week dedicated to OCD and anxiety disorder sufferers. |
August 8 | Dying to Know Day | Dying To Know Day is an annual day dedicated to creating conversations about death, dying and bereavement. |
August 13 | Red Nose Day is the major fundraiser for Red Nose. The funds raised go towards saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood. | |
August 14-21 | Kidney Kar Rally | The Kidney Kar Rally is Kidney Health Australia’s longest-running event. Programs are designed to give children with kidney disease the opportunity to socialise and make long-term friends. |
August 20-26 | Australians will come together to raise awareness about the importance of healthy bones. The event will run over six days. | |
August 20 | World Mosquito Day | World Mosquito Day commemorates British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’s 1897 discovery of the link between female mosquitoes and malaria. |
August 25-31 | Speech Pathology Week | Speech Pathology Week raises awareness about swallowing disorders as well as the work of speech pathologists. |
August 23 | Daffodil Day | Daffodil Day is a well-known fundraising event in Cancer Council’s calendar and helps support all Australians affected by cancer. |
August 27 | Tracky Dack Day | On the last Friday in August, you can wear tracksuit pants – “trackies” – to help raise funds for sick kids. |
August 30 – September 5 | National Stroke Week | Strokes are Australia’s second single greatest killer, with over 60,000 strokes occurring each year. National Stroke Week encourages the community to get involved, raise money and support the national campaign. |
August 31 | International Overdose Awareness Day | The day commemorates those lost to overdoses and the families affected. It also raises awareness about overdosing and looks at what preventative measures can be taken. |
SEPTEMBER
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
September 1 | Footy Colours Day | Footy Colours Day occurs in September and encourages Australians to wear their favourite football team’s colours to help raise money for children living with cancer. |
September 1-30 | Events run throughout September globally, aiming to highlight the brave children living with cancer and the community that supports them. | |
September 1-30 | Dementia Awareness Month runs from 1 September to 30 September every year and is organised each year by Alzheimer’s Australia. | |
September 1-30 | Big Heart Appeal | The Big Heart Appeal helps raise money for the Heart Foundation, which works to save lives and improve health by funding cardiovascular research, informing the public and assisting people with cardiovascular disease. |
September 1-30 | Prostate Cancer Awareness Month | Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is held throughout September and encourages men to get regular prostate checks. |
September 1-30 | Blue September | Blue September is a nationwide awareness and fundraising initiative that raises awareness of all the cancers that affect men, including prostate, testicular, bowel, lung, liver, pancreatic and other cancers. It also encourages men to make better lifestyle choices and seek help sooner rather than later. |
September 1-30 | Dystonia Awareness Month | Dystonia is a neurological movement condition which causes uncontrollable movements, twisting and muscle spasms as well as pain. Dystonia Awareness Month raises awareness about the disease and what can be done to help sufferers. |
September 1-30 | Liptember | Liptember raises funds and promotes awareness of women’s mental health for the whole of September. All funds raised are given to the Centre for Women’s Health and Lifeline. |
September 1-30 | Starlight Movie Month | By buying a specially marked Starlight DVD, you’ll be giving money to raise funds for seriously ill children and their families. |
September 1 | Gold Bow Day | The ATF Gold Bow Day aims to teach people about thyroid cancer and gives support to those affected by thyroid cancer undergoing radioactive iodine treatment. |
September 1-7 | National Asthma Week | Throughout the week, lots of activities are organised to increase awareness of asthma to communities and help people manage asthma. |
September 1-7 | Spina Bifida Awareness Week | Spina Bifida Awareness Week aims to promote awareness of the disease that affects around 5,000 Australians. |
September 2 | National Health and Physical Education Day | National Health and Physical Education (HPE) Day raises awareness of health and physical education in school. It’s a great opportunity to get classes outside and doing some exercise. |
September 4 | PKD Awareness Day | PKD Awareness Day raises awareness for polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which is the most common life-threatening genetic disorder of the kidneys. It affects around 1 in 1,000 people and around 25,000 Australians. |
September 6-10 | Founded in honour of Dr Jean Hailes, Women’s Health Week is a week of events aimed at encouraging women to prioritise their health. | |
September 6-12 | Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week | Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week raises awareness and aims to teach the public more about idiopathic hypersomnia. |
September 6-12 | Spinal Injury Awareness Week | Spinal Injury Awareness Week raises awareness about those living with spinal cord injuries. |
September 6-12 | Kidney Health Research Walk | Dress in red attire, fancy dress or run to support Australians affected by kidney disease. Walks are held across Australia for anyone to get involved in. |
September 7 | World Duchenne Awareness Day | Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe muscle-wasting condition that affects 1 in every 3,500 boys. The day helps raise awareness for those with the condition as well as families affected. |
September 9 | International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day (FASDAY) | On the ninth day of the ninth month every year, people from all over the world gather for events to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy. |
September 10 | The yearly event encourages Australians to ask “Are you ok?” to help address mental health issues both inside and outside of work. | |
September 13 | Unity Walk & Run | The Unity Walk is a great opportunity to raise money and enjoy a day out with family and friends, raising money for all those affected by Parkinson’s. |
September 15 | Lyme Gladiolus Day | The Karl McManus Foundation holds Lyme Gladiolus Day to raise awareness of Lyme disease in Australia. The day raises funds to go towards research into Lyme disease in Australia and helps raise public awareness of the disease. |
September 21-27 | Herbal Medicine Week | Herbal Medicine Week is a week celebrating the healthy use of herbal medicines. This annual event is held by the National Herbalists Association of Australia. |
September 21 | World Alzheimer’s Day | World Alzheimer’s Day brings together the efforts of all the Alzheimer’s organisations to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia. |
September 26 | Mesothelioma Awareness Day | Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. The day raises awareness about the condition and makes positive steps towards prevention and care. |
September 29 | World Heart Day | Cardiovascular diseases are the world’s biggest killers. World Heart Day encourages us all to take care of our hearts. |
OCTOBER
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
October 1-31 | Breast Cancer Awareness Month | Australia’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides people with the chance to focus on breast cancer and its impact. Share stories, speak to family members and get important information out to family, friends and colleagues. |
October 1-31 | Great Cycle Challenge Australia | Great Cycle Challenge encourages people of all ages and fitness levels to get on their bikes and ride to fight kids’ cancer. |
October 1-31 | Lupus Awareness Month | Lupus Awareness Month highlights the need for more awareness and financial support for lupus, which is a potentially fatal disease affecting nearly 6 million people across the world. |
October 1-31 | Ocsober | Ocsober is a fundraising initiative that encourages people to give up alcohol for the whole of October. |
October 1-31 | Dyslexia Awareness Month | Dyslexia Awareness Month raises awareness and helps teach people more about dyslexia with events like Light it Red for Dyslexia. |
October 1 | World Vegetarian Day | World Vegetarian Day, 1 October, kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month, helping make a difference by teaching others about the positives of vegetarianism. |
October 4-10 | Mental Health Week | Mental Health Week is an annual national awareness event held in October every year. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community, to increase community awareness and education about mental health issues and to encourage participation in life-enhancing lifestyles |
October 4-11 | National Amputee Awareness Week | The week raises awareness of amputees and people living with congenital limb differences throughout Australia. |
October 10 | World Mental Health Day | World Mental Health Day raises public awareness of mental health issues and promotes greater understanding of its effect on individuals and the wider community. |
October 10-16 | Bleeding Disorders Awareness Week | Bleeding Disorders Awareness Week aims to raise awareness about inherited bleeding disorders such as haemophilia and von Willebrand disease. |
October 10-16 | National Carers Week | National Carers Week is a time for all Australians to recognise and celebrate the important contributions that unpaid carers make to our communities. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness among our communities about carers and their caring roles. |
October 11-17 | National Nutrition Week | National Nutrition Week encourages Australians to make healthy food and lifestyle choices. |
October 12 | World Arthritis Day | World Arthritis Day brings arthritis sufferers together and gives them a voice to be heard. |
October 12 | Odd Socks Day | Odd Socks Day is a light-hearted way to remind people that we can all have an odd day. The day attempts to tackle the stigma around mental illness. |
October 14 | World Sight Day | World Sight Day raises public awareness on blindness and low vision, providing an opportunity to educate people more about the causes of blindness and preventative measures. |
October 15 | Wellness Walk & Festival | The walk raises awareness for mental illness and promotes the importance of community and togetherness by bringing people together from all backgrounds. |
October 15 | Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day | International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day occurs every October. Parents and families across Australia have the opportunity to honour their babies who passed away from stillbirth, miscarriage or postnatal causes. |
October 16 | Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day | Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day promotes greater awareness for DLD, which affects how a person thinks about, understands and uses language. A person with DLD is at high risk of incarceration and suicide. This important day looks at educating the public more about the condition. |
October 18-24 | National Week of Deaf People (NWDP) | Deaf Australia organises events through a week-long period in October, which focuses on celebrating the deaf community in Australia. |
October 20 | World Osteoporosis Day | World Osteoporosis Day takes place every year on October 20 and involves lots of campaigns by national osteoporosis patient societies from around the world. |
October 21 | Headspace Day | #headspaceday is about ensuring young people have access to mental health services no matter where they live in Australia. |
October 24 | World Polio Day | World Polio Day highlights the importance of the global eradication of polio. |
NOVEMBER
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
November 1-30 | Movember raises awareness of men’s health issues and is a fun way to raise money for a good cause. | |
November 1-30 | Lung Cancer Awareness Month | Lung Cancer Awareness Month helps raise awareness about lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia. The month sees a range of community events and activities taking place to raise funds. |
November 1 | International Drug Users Day | International Drug Users Day aims to raise awareness and increase action to address the needs of people who use drugs. |
November 8-14 | Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week | Perinatal Depression & Anxiety Awareness Week was established by PANDA in 2005. Since then, PANDA has been helping raise awareness about perinatal anxiety and depression, including what to look for and where you can seek support. |
November 18-24 | Antibiotic Awareness Week | Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual, global event that discusses the significance of antibiotic resistance. The week encourages people to use antibiotics responsibly and only when necessary. |
November 12 | World Pneumonia Day | World Pneumonia Day raises awareness of pneumonia as a public health issue and works to stop preventable child deaths from pneumonia. |
November 14 | World Diabetes Day takes place in more than 160 countries, making it the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign. | |
November 15-23 | Alopecia Awareness Week | Alopecia Awareness Week raises both awareness and funds to provide wigs to children affected by alopecia. |
November 17 | World Prematurity Day | This day raises awareness of babies born prematurely. |
November 18 | World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day | More commonly known as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, WCOPDD raises awareness of the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). |
DECEMBER
Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
December 1 | World AIDS Day | World AIDS Day is a globally recognised event that takes place on 1 December. The day raises awareness about the issues and concerns surrounding HIV and AIDS. It’s also a day for people to show their support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died. |
December 1-31 | Decembeard | Decembeard Australia encourages men to grow a beard in December to raise awareness for bowel cancer. The disease affects 1 in 10 Aussie men making it Australia’s second biggest cancer killer. |
December 3 | International Day of Persons with Disabilities | The International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPwD) is celebrated every year in Australia on 3 December to acknowledge the incredible contribution people of all abilities make to the community. |