HEALTH AWARENESS DAYS/WEEKS/MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER…

With only a couple of Health Awareness events in August but lots in September I thought my readers would like to see what is lined up for next month.

September is Pain Awareness Month – The World Health Assembly (WHA) – a subsection of the World Health Organization (WHO) – has declared September Pain Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to raising public awareness and understanding of pain. Many organisations around the world contribute, including the U.S. Pain Foundation, the International Pain Foundation and the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

During September, the U.S. Pain Foundation will be sharing 30 stories of people living with pain over 30 days, while the AMTA has posted resources to inform people of the role of massage therapy in pain management strategies. At Pain Concern, they will be posting regularly on social media.

Everyone can play a part during this month by using the hashtag #PainAwarenessMonth.

You can also get involved by ‘liking’/‘following’ Pain Concern on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date and share the cause.

5th-11th September – Migraine Awareness Week – join in the campaign by -Wherever you’re based in the UK, if you’re having difficulties accessing CGRP MABs, appropriate treatment or specialist services, Migraine Trust would like to hear from you. You can contact us via info@migrainetrust.org with information about your situation and the difficulties you’re having.

You can also write to your MP, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland residents can also contact their MSP (Scotland), AM (Wales) or MLA (Northern Ireland) in your regional parliament.

Migraine Trust will be running a media campaign that will focus on national and local media which you can support by writing a letter to your local newspaper. The best way to stay up to date with the campaign is by subscribing to their ebulletin.

13th-19th September – Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week – This year they are focusing on Mental and Physical Wellbeing for people living with RA. There are a wide variety of sessions you can join, from Chair Yoga, Mindfulness & Meditation, Nutritional Therapy & RA, Tai Chi, and lots more. Their experts have created sessions made specifically for you, to help you on your Wellbeing journey.

Following on from the great success of RAAW 2020, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic, this year’s RA Awareness Week will be focusing on Mental and Physical Wellbeing. They want to help many more living with RA improve their self-management techniques, try something new, and get involved with the RA community. They have a wide variety of sessions, and a range of experts who are there to help you, there is something for everyone!

Help spread the word about RA Awareness Week on social media using #OurMindsRApriority and #RAAW2021. Don’t forget to tag them in your posts!

14th-20th September – Know Your Numbers! Week – Know Your Numbers! raises awareness of high blood pressure, encouraging all UK adults to get a blood pressure check.

1.5 million
1.5 million people have had a free blood pressure check during there annual Know Your Numbers! Week, the UK’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event.

120/80
An ideal blood pressure is under 120/80mmHg. Do you Know Your Numbers? Find your nearest blood pressure check.

6 million
6 million people in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it. Could you get involved and help them find them?

350
Every day in the UK, 350 people have a stroke or heart attack that could have been prevented. See why Know Your Numbers! is needed.

They believe every adult in the UK should know their blood pressure numbers in the same way they know their height and weight. When you Know Your Numbers! you can take steps to look after your blood pressure and lead a long and healthy life. 

15th September – World Lymphona Day –

Lymphoma is the UK’s fifth most common cancer, but is not well known and the signs and symptoms are often overlooked. 

Lymphoma Action UK are committed to raising awareness of lymphoma and the signs to look out for – with a focus in September for Blood Cancer Awareness Month which includes World Lymphoma Awareness Day on 15 September. #LymphomaAware

16th – 19th September – European Mobility Awareness Week – EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK is the perfect opportunity to test out new forms of clean mobility, take stock of current transport challenges, and progress towards more sustainable mobility for Europe.

Businesses, NGOs, schools and other actors, including cities, who want to get involved in the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign are encouraged to register their MOBILITYACTION online.

A MOBILITYACTION can be organised and registered at any time of the year.
For more information, click here.

19th – 21st September – Balance Awareness Week – The Meniere’s Society encourage members, supporters, health professionals, in fact, anyone with an interest in vestibular disorders, to take part. The Ménière’s Society will be running various events as well as encouraging supporters to come up with their own ideas. Whether it’s a coffee morning, bucket collection, manning an information stand or running a marathon – they appreciate anything you can do to raise awareness and/or funds.

The Ménière’s Society is the only registered charity in the UK dedicated solely to supporting people with vestibular (inner ear) disorders causing dizziness & imbalance. They receive no government funding & rely solely on fundraising & memberships to fund our vital work. Support them by becoming a member or making a donation to their work.

Balance Awareness Week takes place Worldwide! The Meniere’s Society will be working alongside other organisations as part of a global effort to raise awareness and defeat dizziness.

For more information on how to get involved in Balance Awareness Week and ideas download there guide or contact them for further details and to take part!

“I find it very frustrating that not many people know about Ménière’s and the effects it has on a person. I would love to see this change so sufferers gain a better understanding from friends, family and work colleagues” LB, Meniere’s Society member

20th-26th September – Organ Donation Awareness Week – the campaign is run to –

• To promote public awareness about organ donation and transplantation.
• To promote public awareness about the change to organ donation law in England, and the choices available to people.
• To encourage people to record their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
• To encourage people to share their donation decision with their family and friends. Many people don’t realise that their family’s support is needed for organ donation to go ahead, and fewer than half of families agree to donation going ahead if they are unaware of their loved one’s decision to be a donor. 

Many people believe that all you need to do to show you want to be a donor is to join the NHS Organ Donor Register or carry a donor card. However, if you die in circumstances where you could become an organ donor your family would be approached by specialist nurses and asked to support your decision to donate.  

If you die without registering to donate your organs, we would need to ask your next of kin to make the decision for you. It can be a big burden for families to make such an important decision at such a difficult time.

Less than half of families approached about donation agree to donate a relative’s organs if they are unaware of their relative’s decision to be a donor.  When a family says no to donation, someone waiting for a transplant may miss out on their only opportunity for a transplant which could save their life. 

The Organ Donation Website’s aim is to inspire millions of family conversations and registrations for organ and tissue donation, by putting children and young people at the heart of our message in 2021.

Families are always involved before organ donation goes ahead, so we encourage everyone in the family, whatever your age, to have a conversation about organ donation, so that when the time comes your family are certain about what you want.

20th – 26th September – World Reflexology Week –

World Reflexology Week takes place every year in the last full week in September.  It is about promoting reflexology and raising awareness of reflexology to the public on a global level.  At the AoR they always have members across the UK who run events offering taster sessions of reflexology; either for free or for a small donation.

Check out the site to find events that are happening near you.

21st September – World Alzheimer’s Day and World Alzheimer’s Month 1st – 30th September – World Alzheimer’s Day takes place on 21 September and is part of World Alzheimer’s Month. This year, we’re talking about dementia – and urging everyone to join in the conversation by becoming Dementia Friends.

This World Alzheimer’s Month, the Alzheimer’s Society are highlighting the importance of talking about dementia. They want to raise awareness of how it impacts the daily lives of people affected by the condition and challenge the stigma that surrounds it.

They know that receiving a dementia diagnosis can leave a person feeling very alone. They have also spoken to primary carers who feel isolated since their loved one received a diagnosis. But you are not alone — Alzheimer’s Society is here to support you.

Let’s shine a spotlight on dementia and highlight how taking the time to talk about dementia can have a huge impact for people affected by it. #WorldAlzheimer’sMonth

29th September – World Heart Day – #USEHEART – World Heart Day 2021 is just around the corner. Discover The World Heart Federation’s wealth of resources and get ready to roll out the campaign wherever you are.

Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally is there goal for Word Heart Day 2021. Telehealth has a huge role to play as they continue to Use Heart To Beat CVD.

USE HEART TO CONNECT is about using your knowledge, compassion and influence to make sure you, your loved ones and the communities you’re part of have the best chance to live heart-healthy lives. It’s about connecting with our own hearts, making sure we’re fuelling and nurturing them as best we can, and using the power of digital to connect every heart, everywhere.

Source: World Alzheimer’s Society , World Heart Federation, AOR, Organ Donation, Meniere’s Society Mobility Week, Lymphoma Action, Blood Pressure UK, NRAS, The Migraine Trust, Pain Concern #backpainbloguk