Health observances are specific days, weeks, or months that have been devoted to promoting a particular health topic and/or concern. When you use these special times to sponsor your own health promotion events and stimulate local awareness of the designated health observance, you can literally “piggy back” on the attention the health observance is getting from local and national media. 

Check out the list below, but for more fun ideas which are serious, semi-serious and fun marketing opportunities also check out http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html

Alphabetized List of Observances

5-a-Day  September 
Activity Professionals  January
Administrative Professionals  April
Adoption  November 
Adult Immunization  October & September 
Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery  September 
Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects  May 
Allied Health  November
Alcohol Awareness  April
Alcohol Free Weekend April
Alcohol Screening  April
Alzheimer's Awareness  November 
Alzheimer's Memory Walk October 
AMD / Low Vision Awareness  February 
American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage November 
American Diabetes Alert March
American Heart Walk, Healthy Choice October 
American Red Cross  March
Anxiety Disorders Screening  May 
Aphasia Awareness  June
Aplastic Anemia Awareness December
Autism Awareness  April  
Auto Battery Safety October 
Arthritis May
Asthma and Allergy Awareness  May
Baby Safety Awareness September 
Better Hearing and Speech  May
Better Sleep  May
Bike Month May
Bike to Work May
Birth Defects Prevention  January
Bone & Joint October
Buckle Up America!  May
Burn Awareness February
Brain Aneurysm Awareness  November
Brain Awareness  March 
Brain Injury Awareness October 
Brain Tumor Action May
Breathe Easy  May 
Breast Cancer Awareness October 
Breastfeeding  August
Campaign for Healthier Babies October 
Cancer Control  April 
Cancer Survivor's June 
Candlelight Vigil for Eating Disorders Awareness  April 
Cardiac Rehab February
Cardiovascular Professionals February
Career Nurse Assistants June
Cataract Awareness August
Celiac Sprue Awareness October
Cervical Health January 
Cesarean Awareness April 
Child Abuse Prevention  April
Children's Health October 
Childhood Depression Awareness, Green Ribbon May
Childhood Injury Prevention September
Child Passenger Safety February
Children and Healthcare March
Children’s Dental Health February 
Children's Eye Health and Safety August  
Children's Mental Health May 
Child Safety and Protection November 
Cholesterol Education September 
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness March 
Clean Air May 
CODP Awareness November 
Cold and Flu Campaign October & November  
Collegiate Alcohol Awareness October 
Colorectal Cancer Awareness March
Condom February
Counseling Awareness April 
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome May 
Correct Posture  May 
Cover the Uninsured May 
Crime Prevention Month October
Dental Hygiene Month October
Depression & Mental Health October 
Depression Screening  October
Diabetes  November
Diabetes Education  November
Diabetic Eye Disease  November
Digestive Diseases Awareness  May
Disability Employment Awareness October 
Doctor's Day March 
Domestic Violence Awareness October 
Donate Life April 
Down Syndrome Awareness October 
Drive Safely Work October 
Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention December 
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness February
Earth Day April 
Eating Disorders Awareness  February
Eating Disorders Screening Program  February
Emergency Medical Services May
Employee Health and Fitness  May
Epilepsy  November
Eye Care  January
Eye Donor  March 
Eye Injury Prevention August 
Eye Safety Awareness June
Facial Protection  April  
Family Caregiver November 
Family Health & Fitness September
Family Health  October
Family Sexuality Education October 
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day May
Fire Prevention  October
Fireworks Eye Safety   July and June
Flu and Pneumonia Campaign   November 
Folic Acid Awareness January
Food Allergy Awareness May 
Food Safety Education September
GERD Awareness November 
Girls and Women in Sports  February 
Give Kids A Smile February
Glaucoma Awareness  January
Great American Smokeout   November 
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness September 
Hand Washing Awareness December
Halloween Safety October 
Headache Awareness  June
Healthcare Recruiter Recognition June
Health Information Management  November
Health Literacy  October 
Healthy Aging  September 
Healthy Lung  October 
Health Unit Coordinator August 
Health Skin November 
Healthy Weight  January 
Healthy Vision May 
Hearing Aid Awareness October 
Heart  February 
Hearing Aid Awareness August
Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness  June
Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness  July
Hemophilia  March
Hepatitis Awareness May
Hernia Awareness  June
High Blood Pressure  May
HIV Testing June 
HIV Vaccine Awareness May 
Home & Sports Eye Safety September
Home Care  November
Hospice  November
Hospitality House  July
Hospital  May 
Hug Holiday May 
Humor  April
Huntington's Disease Awareness  May 
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)  April 
Immunization Awareness August
Infants Immunization April
Infection Control  October 
Inhalants and Poisons Awareness  March 
International Group B Strep Awareness July 
International Housekeepers  September 
Jaw Joints - TMJ Awareness November 
Juvenile Arthritis Awareness  March
Kick Butts March
Kidney  March 
Kids ENT February 
Let's Talk  October 
Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness September 
Light the Night for Sight July & June & May 
Liver Awareness  October 
Lung Cancer Awareness November 
Lung Health Day October
Lupus Awareness  October 
Lyme Disease May 
Make a Difference  October 
Mammography  October 
Marrow Awareness November 
Medical Assistants October 
Mental Illness Awareness October
Medical Librarians  October
Medic Alert August
Mental Retardation Awareness  March
Medical Transcriptionist  May
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention  May
Mental Health Counseling  May
Mental Health  May
Men’s Health  June
Minority Cancer Awareness April 
Minority Donor Awareness August
Missing Children's  May  
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness March 
Muscular Dystrophy Awareness February 
Myasthenia Gravis Awareness June
National Night Out August
Neurofibromatosis  May
Neuropathy May
Nuclear Medicine  October 
Nurse Anesthetist Week, National January
Nurse Assistants'  June
Nurses  May  
Nursing Home  May
Nutrition  March 
Occupational Safety and Health May 
Occupational Therapy  April 
Older Americans Mental Health May 
Older Americans  May
Oncology Nursing  May
Oncology Nursing  May
Operating Room Nurse    November
Orthodontic Health  October 
Osteopathic Medicine  September 
Osteopathic Medicine  November
Osteoporosis Prevention  May 
Ovarian Cancer Awareness September 
Pain Awareness  August
Pancreatic Cancer November 
Pastoral Care  October  
Patient Safety Awareness March 
Pediculosis Prevention September 
Pharmacy  October 
PH Pulmonary Hypertension November 
Physical Fitness & Sports  May
Physical Therapy  October 
Poison Prevention  March
Prematurity Awareness Month May
Prevention of Eye Injuries Awareness  June 
Primary Care  October 
Problem Gambling Awareness March 
Professional Social Work  March 
Prostate Cancer Awareness September
Psoriasis Awareness August
PTA Drug and Alcohol Awareness  March
Public Health  April
Pulmonary Rehabilitation  March
Radiologic Technology  November 
Radon Action October 
Red Ribbon Campaign October 
Recreational Water Illness Prevention May
Rehabilitation  September 
Respiratory Care  October 
Responsible Gaming Education August
Rett Syndrome Awareness  October 
Reye's Syndrome Awareness  September  
Running and Fitness  May
SAFE KIDS  May 
Safe Spring Break - Good 2 Go March
Safe Toys & Gifts  December
Safety  June
SAVE (Stop America's Violence Everywhere) Today October
Save Your Vision  March 
Schizophrenia Awareness May 
School Breakfast  March
School Lunch  October
School Nurses   January
Scleroderma Awareness  June
Senior Health & Fitness  May 
Sex Differences in Health Awareness Day May
Sexual Assault Awareness  April 
Sickle Cell  September 
Sight-Saving  May
Skin Cancer Awareness May 
Sleep Awareness March 
Sobriety Checkpoint  June & July & September 
Spina Bifida Prevention October
Spinal Health  October 
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness  August
Sports & Home Eye Safety September
STD Awareness   April
Stroke Awareness  May 
Stuttering Awareness May or October
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome October 
Suicide Awareness  May
Suicide Prevention September
Surgical Technologist  May
Take a Loved One to the Doctor  September
Talk About Prescriptions  October 
Teen Pregnancy Prevention  May
Therapeutic Recreation  July
Thyroid Awareness   January 
Tie One On for Safety, Red Ribbon December & November
Tinnitus Awareness May
Tuberculosis  March 
Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness  May
Trauma Awareness  May 
UNICEF  October 
UV Safety  July
Vision Research June 
Volunteer Blood Donor  January
Volunteer  April
WalkAmerica March of Dimes April 
Wear Red  February
Women's Check-up  May 
Women's Eye Health and Safety  April 
Women's Health & Fitness  September 
Women's Health  May 
Women's Healthy Weight  January
Women's Heart Health  February
Workplace Eye Safety  March
World AIDS Day December
World Blindness Awareness October
World Breastfeeding  August
World Food  October 
World Health  April
World Mental Health October 
World No Tobacco  May 
World Red Cross  May 
Youth Sports Safety  April
YMCA Healthy Kids  April

Health Observance Months:

| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |