Calendar of Health Promotion Days - 2012

Health Canada Online's Calendar of Health-Related Days lists health-related days, weeks and months that have been announced by recognized health organizations and are recognized throughout the health professional community. We list only days that are recognized in Canada or days that are recognized internationally.

Should you wish to submit an awareness event, please send information about this event in both English and French to general inquiries. The submitted information will be forwarded for final decision to Health Canada issue experts of the related field.

* Indicates that the health-related day is celebrated on a static date each year.

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• July
• Aug
• Sept
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

January

Monthly Event

• Alzheimer Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• January 15 to January 21  National Non-Smoking Week

Single-Day Event

• January 18  Weedless Wednesday
• January 27*  Family Literacy Day

February

Monthly Event

•  Heart Month

Multi-Day Event

• February 5 to February 11  Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• February 5 to February 11  White Cane Week

Single-Day Event

• February 4*  World Cancer Day
• February 6*  International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
• February 12*  Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day

March

Monthly Event

•  "Help Fight Liver Disease" Month
•  National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
•  National Kidney Month
•  National Nutrition Month
•  National Social Work Month
•  Red Cross Month

Multi-Day Event

• March 4 to March 10  Pharmacist Awareness Week
• March 11 to March 17  Canadian Agricultural Safety Week
• March 11 to March 17  World Glaucoma Week
• March 12 to March 18  Brain Awareness Week
• March 18 to March 24 Poison Prevention Week

Single-Day Event

• March 8*  International Women's Day
• March 22*  World Water Day
• March 24*  World Tuberculosis Day
• March 26*  Purple Day - The Global Day of Epilepsy Awareness

April

Monthly Event

•  Daffodil Days: Cancer Awareness
•  Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month
•  Oral Health Month
•  Parkinson's Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• April 8 to April 14  National Dental Hygienists Week
• April 21 to April 28  National Immunization Awareness Week
• April 22 to April 28  National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week

Single-Day Event

• April 2*  World Autism Awareness Day
• April 7*  World Health Day
• April 17*  World Hemophilia Day
• April 22*  Earth Day
• April 25*  World Malaria Day
• April 28*  National Day of Mourning: Remembering lives lost or injured in the workplace 

May

Monthly Event

•  Celiac Awareness Month
•  Cystic Fibrosis Month
• Food Allergy Awareness Month
•  Foot Health Awareness Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
•  Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
•  MedicAlert Month
•  Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month
•  National Physiotherapy Month
•  Speech and Hearing Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• May 1 to May 7* National Summer Safety Week
• May 6 to May 12  Emergency Preparedness Week
• May 6 to May 12  National Hospice Palliative Care Week
• May 6 to May 12  North American Occupational Safety and Health Week
• May 7 to May 13  National Mental Health Week
• May 7 to May 13  National Nursing Week
• May 22 to May 25  Aboriginal Awareness Week
• May 28 to June 1  SPINEWEEK

Single-Day Event

• May 1  World Asthma Day
• May 5  Save Lives: Clean Your Hands
• May 6  Annual Hike for Hospice Palliative Care
• May 8*  World Red Cross Day
• May 12*  Canada Health Day
• May 12*  International Nursing Day
• May 17*  International Day Against Homophobia
• May 20  World Autoimmune Arthritis Day
• May 28*  National Multiple Births Awareness Day
• May 31*  World No-Tobacco Day

June

Monthly Event

•  ALS Awareness Month (Lou Gehrig's Disease)
•  Recreation and Parks Month
•  Relay for Life
•  Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month
•  Stroke Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• June 3 to June 9  Canadian Environment Week
• June 4 to June 10  National Sun Awareness Week

Single-Day Event

• June 3*  National Cancer Survivors Day
• June 5*  World Environment Day
• June 6  Clean Air Day
• June 12  National Memory Screening Day
• June 14*  World Blood Donor Day
• June 21*  National Aboriginal Day
• June 26*  International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

July

Single-Day Event

• July 11*  World Population Day
• July 28*  World Hepatitis Day

August

Multi-Day Event

• August 1 to August 7*  World Breastfeeding Week

Single-Day Event

• August 19*  World Humanitarian Day

September

Monthly Event

•  Breakfast for Learning Month
•  Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
•  Men's Cancer Health Awareness Month
•  National Arthritis Month
•  Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• September 15 to September 23  AIDS Walk for Life

Single-Day Event

• September 9*  Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day
• September 10*  World Suicide Prevention Day
• September 16  Terry Fox Run
• September 21*  World Alzheimer's Day
• September 27  Terry Fox National School Run Day
• September 28*  World Rabies Day
• September 29*  World Heart Day

October

Monthly Event

•  Autism Awareness Month
•  Breast Cancer Awareness Month
•  Eye Health Month
•  Healthy Workplace Month
•  International Walk to School Month
•  Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
•  Lupus Awareness Month
•  National Occupational Therapy Month
•  Psoriasis Awareness Month
•  SIDS Awareness Month (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
•  The Flu Shot: Influenza Immunization Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• September 30 to October 6  Mental Illness Awareness Week
• October 7 to October 13  Fire Prevention Week
• October 15 to October 19  National Infection Control Week
• October 17 to October 23  National School Safety Week

Single-Day Event

• October 1*  National Seniors Day
• October 10*  World Mental Health Day
• October 13*  International Day for Disaster Reduction
• October 13*  World Sight Day
• October 16*  World Food Day
• October 22*  International Stuttering Awareness Day

November

Monthly Event

•  Amaryllis Month (Huntington Society)
•  Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Month
•  Cardipulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.) Awareness Month
•  Diabetes Month
•  Lung Cancer Awareness Month
•  Movember Canada: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
•  Osteoporosis Month
•  Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Multi-Day Event

• October 29 to November 2  Canadian Patient Safety Week
• November 6 to November 12  National Pain Awareness Week
• November 6 to November 12  National Seniors Safety Week
• November 24 to November 30  National Home Fire Safety Week

Single-Day Event

• November 12*  World Pneumonia Day
• November 14*  World Diabetes Day
• November 16*  World COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Day
• November 20*  National Child Day
• November 25*  International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

December

Monthly Event

•  The Lung Association's Christmas Seal Campaign

Single-Day Event

• December 1*  World AIDS Day
• December 3*  International Day of Disabled Persons
• December 6*  National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women In Canada
• December 10*  Human Rights Day