May
National Arthritis Awareness and Arthritis Walk Month National Arthritis Awareness Month was initiated by the Arthritis Foundation through a Presidential Proclamation in 1972. It aims to raise awareness and reduce the impact of arthritis, which strikes one in every five adults and 300,000 children. It is the leading cause of disability in the US. To conquer this painful, debilitating disease, the Arthritis Foundation supports education, research, advocacy, and other vital programs and services. For more information, contact:
Public Relations | Arthritis Foundation | phone: 404.965.7595 | help@arthritis.org | www.arthritis.org
National Arthritis Walk The Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation’s signature event. It supports public awareness and raises funds to fight arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Walk is an annual event that generally takes place during the month of May in conjunction with National Arthritis Awareness Month. The Arthritis Foundation additionally launched Let’s Move Together, a nationwide movement that encourages people to move every day to prevent and treat arthritis. For more information, contact:
Public Relations | Arthritis Foundation | phone: 404.965.7595 | help@arthritis.org | www.arthritis.org
National Better Sleep Month Each May, Better Sleep Month is dedicated to educating consumers about the importance of sleep to health and quality of life. For more information, contact:
Better Sleep Council | phone: 703.683.8371 | kmahoney@sleepproducts.org | www.bettersleep.org
National Better Hearing and Speech Month May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, dedicated to two essential communication tools that can be affected by medical conditions. For more information, contact:
Communications Business Unit | American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery | phone: 703.535.3762 | newsroom@entnet.org | www.entnet.org
National Global Employee Health and Fitness Month National Global Employee Health and Fitness Month is dedicated to encouraging employers from all sectors—public, private, and nonprofit—to promote fitness and encourage employees and their families to be physically active on a regular basis. For more information, contact:
National Association for Health and Fitness | phone: 716.583.0521 | wellness@city- buffalo.org | www.physicalfitness.org
National Healthy Vision Month More than 20 million Americans suffer from severe vision loss. While not all eye diseases can be prevented, there are simple steps everyone can take to help their eyes remain healthy now and reduce their chances of vision loss in the future. Eye conditions, diseases, and injury can destroy your family’s healthy vision. Preventive eye care is important for everyone. For more information, contact:
Communications Division | American Academy of Ophthalmology | phone: 415.447.0258 | eyemd@aao.org | www.geteyesmart.org
National Hepatitis Awareness Month During Hepatitis Awareness Month, the Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI) provides information and materials and conducts “train the trainer” sessions for teachers, school and occupational nurses, other healthcare providers, and the public. The HFI promotes the prevention of hepatitis and substance abuse and encourages individuals to avoid liver-damaging activities and make healthful lifestyle behavior choices, including being vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. For more information, contact:
Education Department | HFI | phone: 800.891.0707 | info@hepatitisfoundation.org | www.hepatitisfoundation.org
National High Blood Pressure Education Month High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems. The focus of this observance is to increase awareness about the prevention and treatment of this life-threatening condition. For more information, contact:
Health Information Center | National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute | 301.592.8573 | nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov | www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/index.htm#hbp
National Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month The Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) celebrates May as Huntington’s Disease (HD) Awareness Month to raise greater awareness of HD and the valuable work HD scientists and clinicians do to fight all diseases, not just neurodegenerative and genetic afflictions. For more information, contact:
HDSA | phone: 212.242.1968 or 800.345.HDSA (800.345.4372) | ftaubman@hdsa.org | www.hdsa.org
Liver Awareness Month Liver Awareness Month focuses attention on the need to maintain a healthy liver through a healthy lifestyle, the types and seriousness of liver disease and the urgency to be tested for liverdisease if anyone has risk factors. For more information, contact:
Communications Department | American Liver Foundation | phone: 212.668.1000 | drohde@liverfoundation.org | www.liverfoundation.org
National Lupus Awareness Month Lupus Awareness Month serves as a nationwide call to action for the public to learn the early warning signs and consequences of this unpredictable and potentially fatal autoimmune disease. The goal is to increase awareness of lupus, especially among populations at highest risk of developing the disease—young women of childbearing age, African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. World Lupus Day (May 10, 2013) provides a forum for the more than 100 international lupus organizations to call attention to the need for safer and more effective treatments for lupus. For more information, contact:
Lupus Foundation of America | phone: 202.349.1155 | info@lupus.org | www.lupus.org
National Melanoma / Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month The American Academy of Dermatology established Melanoma / Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month to raise awareness about skin cancer and to encourage Americans to practice sun-safe behaviors. For more information, contact:
American Academy of Dermatology | www.spotskincancer.org
National Mental Health Month The goal of Mental Health Month is to educate the public about mental health conditions and the importance of mental health to overall health and wellness. For more information, contact:
Mental Health America | phone: 703.797.2588 | svetzner@mentalhealthamerica.net | www.mentalhealthamerica.net
National Osteoporosis Month Each May, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) celebrates National Osteoporosis Month. NOF has developed, through its National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) public-private partnership, a campaign centered on secondary fracture prevention entitled 2Million2Many. This campaign aims for the public and healthcare professionals to take action and request a bone density test for anyone age 50 or older who suffer a bone break. The campaign features a traveling cast installation that represents the 5,500 bone breaks that occur every day. The 2Million2Many campaign and National Osteoporosis Month are opportunities to raise awareness of osteoporosis and bone health on grassroots and national levels. For more information, contact:
NOF | phone: 800.231.4222 | communications@nof.org | www.nof.org, www.nbha.org, or www.2million2many.org
National Stroke Awareness Month In 1987, the National Stroke Association initiated and received a Presidential Proclamation to annually celebrate National Stroke Awareness Month in May. The goal of the annual campaign is to raise public awareness about the full continuum of stroke by managing stroke risk factors, better understanding stroke symptom recognition and response, and improving the quality of life during stroke recovery for millions of stroke survivors in the US. For more information, contact:
National Stroke Association | phone: 303.754.0919 | tfort@stroke.org | www.stroke.org
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the US and a major cause of serious, long-term disability. Stroke doesn’t discriminate—it affects people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds—however, African-Americans are at increased risk. American Stroke Month aims to heighten the public’s awareness of stroke warning signs and risk factors. For more information, contact:
Communications Department | American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association | phone: 888.4.STROKE (888.478.7653) | www.strokeassociation.org
National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month Observed each May by states and communities throughout the country, National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month seeks to involve communities in promoting and supporting effective teen pregnancy prevention initiatives. For more information, contact:
Advocates for Youth | phone: 202.419.3420 | ebony@advocatesforyouth.org | www.advocatesforyouth.org
May 5-11 Children’s Mental Heath Week
The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health sponsors and observes the first full week in May as Children’s Mental Health Week For more information, contact: National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health | phone: 240.403.1901 | ffcmh@ffcmh.org | www.ffcmh.org
May 12 International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Awareness Day
International CFS/CFIDS/ME Awareness Day is designed to increase understanding about chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment will be widely disseminated to the media, the public, healthcare professionals, and government officials. Fewer than 20 percent of Americans with this illness have been diagnosed, so efforts in 2013 will focus on spreading the word about the impact, severity, and prevalence. For more information, contact:
Patient Alliance for Neuroendocrineimmune Disorders | phone: 954.783.6771 | www.pandoranet.info
May 12 National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is observed each May 12 with activities taking place worldwide in an effort to increase awareness of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia Awareness Day seeks to help patients and organizations educate the general public, healthcare professionals, government officials, and legislative bodies. The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association’s (NFMCPA) annual Walk to CURE FM (Campaign for Understanding, Research and Education of Fibromyalgia) to commemorate Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is the rally cry for fibromyalgia patients and supporters to make their collective voice heard. For more information, contact:
NFMCPA | info@fmcpaware.org | www.fmcpaware.org
May 12-18 National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Week
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are the leading cause of preventable mental retardation and the most serious form of drug-related birth defects. National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Week highlights the harmful effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on a fetus and the full range of FASD. For more information, contact:
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. | phone: 212.269.7797 | rlindsey@ncadd.org | www.ncadd.org
May 12-18 National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week
To raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depressive illnesses and to assist individuals in finding help, Freedom From Fear partners with organizations around the nation to hold events during National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week. “Anxiety and depressive illnesses are serious public health concerns. They not only greatly impair the individuals who suffer with them, they impact the lives of their family and friends,” says Mary Guardino, executive director of Freedom From Fear. For more information, contact:
Freedom From Fear | phone: 718.351.1717, ext. 19 | help@freedomfromfear.org | www.freedomfromfear.org
May 12-18 National Food Allergy Awareness Week
In 1997, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) created Food Allergy Awareness Week to educate others about food allergies, potentially life-threatening medical conditions affecting 15 million Americans. For more information, contact: FAAN | 800.929.4040, ext. 111 | faaw@foodallergy.org | www.foodallergy.org