Thursday, April 1, 2010

Monthly Health Awareness for April

Do you pay attention to the different Health Awareness months/weeks/days? Various health issues fill the calendar with awareness months that are meant to educate the general public about the individual causes.

Some months and causes seem to go well, hand-in-hand. For example, February is Heart Month and May is used to raise awareness of Lyme Disease. Others appear to be more random, such as Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, which is in July. The organizations that sponsor the special awareness times put a lot of time and effort into their public service announcements. But do they make an impact on the general public?

How many of you, who aren't directly affected by the disease or problem, have heard of National Radon Action Month (January), Children of Alcoholics Week (February), National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March) and National Facial Protection Month (April)?

The point is, some issues are out there, in our faces all the time. We all know about breast cancer awareness spots, heart attack information and so on, but there are many other health issues that need to be addressed. So, are these groups doing a good job spreading the word? What do you think?

For your information, here are the April Health observances, as per the 2010 National Health Observances Calendar:

1 - 30
Alcohol Awareness Month

SAMHSA's Health Information Network
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20847-2345
(877) 726-4727 English/Spanish
(240) 221-4292 Fax
shin@samhsa.hhs.gov
ncadi.samhsa.gov/seasonal/aprilalcohol/
Materials available
Contact: None designated

1 - 30
Foot Health Awareness Month

American Podiatric Medical Association
9312 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-1621
(301) 581-9227
(301) 530-2752 Fax
ahberard@apma.org
www.apma.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: Angela Berard

1 - 30
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
P.O. Box 170864
Milwaukee, WI 53217-8076
(888) 964-2001
(414) 964-1799
(414) 964-7176 Fax
iffgd@iffgd.org
www.aboutibs.org/site/about-ibs/april-ib
s-awareness-month
External Link
Materials available
Contact: Nancy Norton

1 - 30
National Autism Awareness Month

The Autism Society
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814-3067
(800) 3–AUTISM (328-8476)
(301) 657-0881
(301) 657-0869 Fax
info@autism-society.org
www.autism-society.org/naam External Link
Materials available
Contact: None designated

1 - 30
National Cancer Control Month

American Cancer Society
250 Williams Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
(800) ACS-2345 (227-2345)
www.cancer.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: National Office

1 - 30
National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Child Welfare Information Gateway
Children's Bureau
ACYF, AFC, HHS
1250 Maryland Avenue SW, #8111
Washington, DC 20024
(800) 394-3366
(202) 260-9345 Fax
info@childwelfare.gov
www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/preventi
onmonth/

Materials available
Contact: None designated

1 - 30
National Donate Life Month

Division of Transplantation, Healthcare Systems Bureau
Health Resources and Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Parklawn Building, Room 12C-05
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
(888) 275-4772
(703) 821-2098 Fax
ask@hrsa.gov
www.organdonor.gov/get_involved/donateli
femonth.htm

Materials available
Contact: Division of Transplantation Staff

1 - 30
National Facial Protection Month

American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Association of Orthodontists
9700 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Rosemont, IL 60018
(847) 678-6200
inquiries@aaoms.org
www.aaoms.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: AAOMS Communications

1 - 30
National Minority Health Awareness Month

Office of Minority Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 37337
Washington, DC 20013-7337
(800) 444-6472
(240) 453-2883 Fax
info@omhrc.gov
minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.
aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=182

Materials available
Contact: None designated

1 - 30
National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month

National Sarcoidosis Society
National Sarcoidosis Foundation
2525 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 567-6626
(312) 567-6144 Fax
sarcoidosis3@gmail.com
www.nationalsarcoidosisfriends.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: Glenda Fulton

1 - 30
National Youth Sports Safety Month

National Youth Sports Safety Foundation
One Beacon Street, Suite 3333
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 367-6677
(617) 722-9999 Fax
nyssf@aol.com
www.nyssf.org/campaign.html External Link
Materials available
Contact: Rita Glassman

1 - 30
Occupational Therapy Month

American Occupational Therapy Association
4720 Montgomery Lane
P.O. Box 31220
Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
(301) 652-6611
(800) 377-8555 TDD
(301) 652-7258 Fax
praota@aota.org
www.aota.org/news/consumer/ot-month.aspx External Link
Materials available
Contact: None designated

1 - 30
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
2000 L Street NW, Suite 406
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 656-4673
info@rainn.org
www.rainn.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: None designated

1 - 30
Sports Eye Safety Month

American Academy of Ophthalmology
P.O. Box 7424
San Francisco, CA 94120-7424
(415) 447-0213
(415) 561-8533 Fax
eyemd@aao.org
www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/injuries/in
dex.cfm
External Link
Materials available
Contact: Georgia Alward

1 - 30
Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Prevent Blindness America
211 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60606
(800) 331-2020
(847) 843-8458 Fax
info@preventblindness.org
www.preventblindness.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: PBA Consumer and Patient Hotline

5 - 11
National Public Health Week

American Public Health Association
800 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20001-3710
(202) 777-2509
(202) 777-2500 TTY
(202) 777-2532 Fax
bithiah.lafontant@apha.org
www.nphw.org/nphw10/home1.htm External Link
Materials available
Contact: Bithiah Lafontant

7
World Health Day

Pan American Health Organization
WHO Regional Office for the Americas
525 23rd Street NW
Washington, DC 20037-2895
(202) 974-3156
(202) 974-3645 Fax
www.who.int/world-health-day/en/ External Link
Materials available
Contact: None designated

8
National Alcohol Screening Day®

Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
One Washington Street, Suite 304
Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
(781) 239-0071
(781) 431-7447 Fax
smhinfo@mentalhealthscreening.org
www.mentalhealthscreening.org/events/nas
d/
External Link
Materials available
Contact: Ariela Edelson

20
Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action

National Sexual Violence Resource Center
123 North Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025
(877) 739-3895
(717) 909-0714 Fax
resources@nsvrc.org
www.nsvrc.org/saam/current-campaign/day-
of-action
External Link
Materials available
Contact: Lauren Sogor

24 - May 1
National Infant Immunization Week

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-05
Atlanta, GA 30333
(800) CDC-INFO (232-4636)
(404) 639-8200
(404) 639-8905 Fax
cdcinfo@cdc.gov
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/default
.htm

Materials available
Contact: Michelle Basket

24 - 25
2010 March for Babies

March of Dimes Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
(800) 525-9255
(914) 997-4617 Fax
marchforbabies@marchofdimes.com
www.marchforbabies.org External Link
Materials available
Contact: Bob Aglione

24
World Meningitis Day

Confederation of Meningitis Organization
CoMO, Meningitis Centre
Telethon Institite for Child Health Research
P.O. Box 866
West Perth
AUSTRALIA, 6872
linda@ichr.uwa.edu.au
www.comoonline.org/wmd.html External Link
Contact: Linda Gibbs