HEALTH AWARENESS DAYS/WEEK AND FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY…

CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT AWARENESS WEEK –  7th -14^th February – World Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is held on February 7tth – 14^th. Multiple conditions present at birth, from mild to severe, affect a baby’s heart, its functions, but also blood flow. Every year, one in 100 babies is born with the condition. While critical cases can be deadly without treatment, some heart defecSponsored by the American Heart Association, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week encourages people to learn about congenital heart defects. And how commonly they occur, and how they can contribute to organizations researching into congenital heart defects.ts can be treated easily. The most severe ones can be detected during pregnancy or soon after birth.

NATIONAL HEART MONTH 1^st– 28^th February – National Heart Month is an annual event observed in the UK, which aims to raise awareness about heart diseases. It encourages people to think about the choices they are making within their lifestyle to keep their heart healthy. National Heart Month aims to help people understand what good mental and physical health means for the heart, and how to stay informed about the risks of heart-related conditions.

Currently, there are around 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases and 1 in 2 of us will experience a heart or circulatory condition during our lifetime.

However, making small changes to your daily routine can make a big difference to your heart health, which in the long term could help reduce your risk of heart and circulatory related conditions such as diabetes, stroke, vascular dementia or heart disease.

TINNITUS AWARENESS WEEK – 7^th – 13^th February – Tinnitus Awareness Week is observed the first full week of February and the purpose of it is to educate the public about the symptoms of tinnitus and how it affects people. Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ear and 15 to 20 percent of people experience it. It’s not actually a condition, but a symptom of an underlying condition. These can be age-related, related to hearing loss, ear injury, or a circulatory system disorder. The symptoms include ringing, buzzing, clicking, roaring, hissing, or humming in the ear and it varies depending on the person.

RARE DISEASE DAY – 28^th February – Rare Disease Day is the official international
awareness-raising campaign for rare diseases which takes place on the last day of February each
year. The main objective of the campaign is to raise awareness amongst the general public and
decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives.
Rare Disease Day was launched by EURORDISRare Diseases Europe and its Council of National
Alliances in 2008. RareDiseaseDay is the unique campaign hashtag for Rare Disease Day, be sure to use it your social media posts in help build momentum around the global campaign!

WORLD CANCER DAY – 4^th February 2023 – is the global uniting initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). By raising worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action, we are all working together to reimagine a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all – no matter who you are or where you live. 

Created in 2000, World Cancer Day has grown into a positive movement for everyone, everywhere to unite under one voice to face one of our greatest challenges in history.

Each year, hundreds of activities and events take place around the world, gathering communities, organisations and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks, community halls, places of worship – in the streets and online – acting as a powerful reminder that we all have a role to play in reducing the global impact of cancer.

TIME TO TALK DAY – 3rd February 2023 – Time to Talk Day is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in England, in partnership with Co-op. The campaign runs UK wide, with SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and See Me in Scotland, Inspire and Change Your Mind in Northern Ireland and Time to Change Wales.

The day is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health. We all have mental health, by talking about it we can support ourselves and others. We aim to support communities up and down the country to have more mental health conversations than ever before. We know that conversations about mental health have the power to change lives. Our recent research shows how important open conversations in communities are to support everyone’s mental wellbeing.

Co-op are raising £8m for Mind, SAMH and Inspire to bring communities together to improve mental wellbeing. Along with delivering Time to Talk Day, these vital funds are providing new services in over 50 local communities across the UK to support people’s mental wellbeing. Time to Talk Day was launched in 2014 by Time to Change, a campaign to end mental health stigma and discrimination, which was run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

Dignity Action Day – 1st February, 2023 #DAD2023 is an annual opportunity for health and social care workers, and members of the public to uphold people’s rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people who use care services.Dignity Action Day gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to upholding people’s rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people receiving care. Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.

February is Raynaud’s Awareness Month – You can get involved by spreading the word, hosting a Catch up with a Coffee, following us on social media and keeping the conversation going.  #KnowRaynauds

Up to 10 million people in the UK have a form of Raynaud’s and yet our research shows that nearly half of UK adults don’t know any of the signs of Raynaud’s disease. That’s why it’s so important that we continue to raise awareness.

Too many people just live with Raynaud’s without knowing what it is and how they can manage the symptoms better.  For roughly 300,000 of them it’s a sign of an underlying condition.  So we don’t want people to ignore it any more.  By sharing your stories of what it is like to live with Raynaud’s we are encouraging others to take action.  

Les lived with Raynaud’s for over 50 years without knowing what it was – he found out after taking our online test, that’s why he put together this video below to help us raise awareness. 

Wear Red Day – February 3rd 2023, Support Children’s Heart Surgery Fund on the first Friday in  February and help children and adults born with congenital heart disease.

Your fundraising will help fund ground-breaking new equipment, resources, training and research as well as support for children and their families whenever they need it. It’s so easy to take part, all you need to do is wear red!

Show your support of congenital heart disease and Children’s Heart Surgery Fund by wearing something RED on the first Friday in February! Sign up and receive your free, digital fundraising pack!

Eating Disorders Awareness Week is back 27 February-5 March 2023 – Whether they’re battling an eating disorder, or supporting someone who’s struggling – we’re there with people affected, every step of the way.

From our Helpline to our online workshops and chatrooms, our services help make sure no one feels alone in their recovery journey. So this Eating Disorders Awareness Week, we’re asking you to pair up with a pal and fundraise with someone by your side.

National Wear Red Day – Sunday 26th February – The first Friday in February (February 3) is National Wear Red Day. On this day, which is considered American Heart Month, everyone across the country dons the color red in order to raise and spread awareness in hopes to help eradicate heart disease and stroke in millions of women all over the nation. So put on your reddest red — whether it be a lipstick, a pair of pants, or your favorite hat — and paint the city red. In line with other heart and soul related themes of the month, National Wear Red Day brings awareness to women’s heart health. Women have been the heartbeats of the home since the beginning, playing multiple roles as mothers, daughters, sisters, counselors, providers, and protectors. Women shoulder more responsibility now in and outside the home than ever before. In kind, they need more support in nurturing themselves as deeply as they nurture their families and communities. National Wear Red day is a beautiful first step in giving women the world over the critical heart health information and services they need and deserve.

Source: Dignity Care Raynauds Awareness Wear Red Day Beat Eating Disorders National Today International Days Days of the Year Twinkl British Heart Foundation Tinnitus UK Rare Disease Day World Cancer Day Time to Talk Day