HEALTH AWARENESS DAYS/ WEEKS AND FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2023…

September is a busy month for health awareness events. Here is a list of just a few of them…

WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY – 10^th September – Every year organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.

The latest suicide statistics showed that in 2018, in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, more than 6,800 people died by suicide. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy.

And we know that suicide is preventable, it’s not inevitable. But not being okay is still widely stigmatised. And governments can still make better, more ambitious plans to prevent suicide.

Every year The Samaritans campaign with over 70 other suicide prevention and mental health groups under the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA).

Together, they ask governments in the UK and Ireland to make suicide prevention a priority and help raise awareness about how we can support each other better.

For ideas on how to support World Suicide Day head over to The Samaritans website.

PAIN AWARENESS MONTH – 1^st – 30^th September – 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. Here at Pain Concern, we 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.

MIGRAINE AWARENESS WEEK – 1st – 7^th September – While there is an increasing awareness of migraine and understanding of what it is, not many would disagree that there needs to be more awareness and understanding of how migraines seriously impact lives, with too many people not fully realising what it is like to live with this condition.

Migraine Awareness Week is a moment in the year when everyone affected by migraines and everyone working to help those affected work together to raise the profile of migraine as a complex neurological condition and dispel any ideas that it is ‘just a headache.https://www.optimahealth.co.uk/migraine-awareness-week/

They say that an estimate that as many as 25 million working days are lost each year to migraine, and research suggests this is only going to get worse as our working population ages, it is an important health and wellbeing conversation for employers to be embracing.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AWARENESS WEEK – 11^th – 15^th September – Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week (RAWW) is an annual campaign created by NRAS to raise awareness of the condition and eliminate misconceptions by educating and informing friends, family, and employers of those with RA and the general population about what rheumatoid arthritis truly is. https://nras.org.uk/factorfiction/

Since the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) was founded in 2001, one of our key aims has been to increase public understanding and awareness of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as distinct from other forms of arthritis. Whilst we have come a long way, there still remains a significant challenge in clarifying the misconceptions based on RA.

In 2013, NRAS started a campaign called Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week (RAAW) to raise awareness of the condition and eliminate these misconceptions by educating and informing friends, family, employers of those with RA and the general population about what rheumatoid arthritis truly is. RA is very different to osteoarthritis (OA) in that it can strike at any age over 16. It is an auto-immune disease, which is a key differentiating factor to OA and means that in addition to joints, it can affect internal organs such as the heart, lungs, and eyes. There are very serious consequences to late diagnosis or lack of targeted appropriate treatment.

This year for RAAW 2023 the theme is is #RADrain, showing how day-to-day activities can drain your battery, and leave you unable to continue with more events during the day, for example going out in the evening to socialise. Things like getting a stressful email at work can drain a person with RA’s battery a huge amount compared to someone who is not living with this illness. Finding there is no parking near your office is probably an inconvenience for most people, however if you have RA and have had a busy morning, that extra walk can take a huge chunk out of your daily battery. It really can be simple things that can lead to your battery being almost out before you even get home for the evening.

KNOW YOUR NUMBER AWARENESS WEEK – 4^th – 10^th September – the biggest blood pressure testing awareness event. Every September, volunteers give free blood pressure checks to thousands of passers-by to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Know Your Numbers! Week reaches those who have high blood pressure and don’t know it, so they can get the treatment and support they need to bring it under control.

Hundreds of organisations take part, setting up Pressure Stations in public places across the UK. From hospitals and health centres to offices, car parks and supermarkets. Even the Royal Albert Hall. Take a look at the highlights from past campaigns.

2023 sees the 23rd anniversary of Know your Numbers! Week. We are planning to mark this milestone with a new theme and activities and look forward to working with you on Know your Numbers! Week 2023.

Know Your Numbers! Week 2023 is taking place from 4-10 September. We won’t be offering free pressure checks in our community Pressure Stations again this year, but we will still encourage the whole of the UK to Know Their Numbers! We will build on our campaigns from the last two years as we get the nation to take up home monitoring. Save the date and register to take part.

The theme for 2023 is: Make the time, ease your pressure.

WORLD LYMPHOMA DAY – 15^th September – World Lymphoma Awareness Day is held on 15 September every year around the world. Since its launch in 2004, it has been a day dedicated to raising awareness of lymphomas, and cancers of the lymphatic system.

In 2023, the global network of lymphoma patient organisations is saying We Can’t Wait to Focus on Our Feelings.

Too often when someone is living with lymphoma, the psychological and emotional challenges that affect how people are feeling are overlooked. But learning to cope with challenging feelings can have many benefits including closer relationships with family and friends, feeling more connected with yourself, and being better able to live in the moment.

Check back soon to learn how to get involved in the 2023 campaign. #WLAD2023

EUROPEAN MOBILITY AWARENESS WEEK – 16^th – 22^nd September – is the European Commission’s flagship awareness-raising campaign on sustainable urban mobility. It encourages behavioural change in favour of active mobility, public transport and other clean, intelligent transport solutions. The annual theme for 2023 is ‘Save Energy’.

The 2023 EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK theme is Save Energy. Why is it important to save energy through sustainable urban mobility? Because energy and mobility poverty are rising due to higher costs for residents and businesses across Europe. Meanwhile, operating public transport continues to be a high expense for city budgets – reducing this expense through energy efficient transport will support affordable and sustainable transport infrastructures.

Following Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, it is also crucial to reduce dependency on Russian oil and to shift to sustainable energy sources, which will simultaneously move Europe toward a climate-neutral future by 2050.

Collective action to reduce energy use has already made a positive impact on fuel reserves and prices, but there is more to be done! This year, let’s explore ways to make sure our mobility habits contribute to these collective efforts.

Find out more about this year’s theme, here.

BALANCE AWARENESS WEEK – 17^th – 2^{3 rd} September – While most people may not be familiar with the word “vestibular”—a system in your inner ear that sends signals to your brain to tell you where you are in space—many of us have likely experienced the awkward, sometimes even scary feeling, when we momentarily lose our balance.

Whether it comes on gradually over time or all of the sudden, bouts of dizziness, vertigo, and nausea can make many of life’s routine tasks virtually intolerable. Everyday life – from getting around your house to grocery shopping—becomes a progressively challenging obstacle course to navigate.

That’s why VeDA pioneered Balance Awareness Week (BAW) in 1997—to shine a light on invisible balance disorders. When everyone is more aware, we can better understand the vestibular patient experience and be empathetic to those who need our support—family, friends, co-workers, and neighbours. While many balance disorders are incurable, a faster and more accurate diagnosis, along with effective coping strategies, can greatly improve the quality of life for those who suffer from these invisible chronic illnesses.

Join VeDA this September 17-23, 2023 for Balance Awareness Week, and together we can support people struggling with dizziness, vertigo and imbalance on their journey toward a life rebalanced.

ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS WEEK – 18^th – 24^th September – Organ donation is when you decide to give an organ to save or transform the life of someone else.

You can donate some organs while you are alive, and this is called living organ donation. However, most organ and tissue donations come from people who have died.

This year Organ Donations is asking everyone to go pink for the week! Pink is the colour of the NHS Organ Donor Card. Whether you bake a pink cake, wear pink socks, paint a pink unicorn or drink a pink drink we want to see what you get up to.

25,000 new organ donors during Organ Donation Week 2023.

Remember to use #organdonation and tag us @nhsorgandonor so they can see your brilliant efforts!

WORLD REFLEXOLOGY WEEK – 18^th – 24^th September – World Reflexology Week takes place every year in the last full week in September. It is about promoting reflexology and raising awareness of reflexology among 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.

Reflexology is a non-invasive complementary health therapy that can be effective in promoting deep relaxation and wellbeing; reducing stress in people’s lives can be key in optimising good health and building resilience. It is a touch therapy that is based on the theory that different points on the feet, lower leg, hands, face or ears correspond with different areas of the body and reflexologists work these points and areas.

However reflexology is viewed, there can be no doubt that what it does provide is a period of time for relaxation where the client has one-to-one attention and supportive touch in an empathetic listening environment. Reflexology can be used safely alongside standard healthcare to promote better health for their clients.

WORLD ALZHEIMERS 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 the power of knowledge. World Alzheimer’s Day is an international campaign to raise awareness and highlight issues faced by people affected by dementia. It is an opportunity for people and organisations to demonstrate how we can overcome these issues and help people live well with dementia.

By learning more about dementia and understanding changes in memory and behaviour, you and your loved ones can feel empowered to reach out for the help and support you need. World Alzheimer’s Month is a global opportunity to raise awareness around, educate, encourage support for and demystify dementia.

Globally, dementia is one of the biggest challenges we face, with nearly 50 million people living with dementia worldwide. To tackle this global dementia challenge we need to work together and collaborate and share best practices with one another.

This is why Alzheimer’s Society has committed to working with partners on global research and campaigning, as well as sharing our learning, best practice and experience with one another.

This World Alzheimer’s Month, they are encouraging everyone to learn more about dementia. They have factsheets and booklets about dementia available to read online, download or order to your door.

You can also download our publications catalogue (PDF) for full details of all their print publications, accessible resources and practical tools.

WORLD HEART DAY – 29^th September – World Heart Day is an opportunity for everyone to stop and consider how best to use their heart for humanity, for nature, and for you. Beating cardiovascular disease (CVD) is something that matters to every beating heart

Use Heart means to think differently. To make the right decisions. To act with courage. To help others. To engage with this important cause. The heart is the only organ you can hear and feel. It is the first and last sign of life. It is one of the few things with the potential to unite all of us as people.

For Every Heart involves the use of “FOR” and swings the focus from the actions themselves to the beneficiaries of the actions, allowing for wider application of the campaign while also making it more personal. We want World Heart Day messages to reach as many individuals as possible to help achieve cardiovascular health for every heart. For more details on World Heart Day head to the World Heart Day website.

SLEEPTEMBER 1st-30th September 2023 – For anyone wanting to improve sleep, they need to understand whatit is, why it’s important and what they can do to encourage quality slumber.What does sleep look like to you? That’s something we will be exploring thismonth. The charity has worked hard this year to deliver accessible, freeresources for all with the launch of two downloadable eBooks; Welcome to the World of Sleep – aimed at parents/carers struggling with their children’s sleep,and Understanding Your Sleep for anyone wanting to know more about sleep orimprove the quality of their sleep; and we have overhauled our insomnia page with updated information, #Sleeptember:

Key messages for Sleeptember are:

Know your sleep – make use of our resources to understand sleep and why it
is so important to our health and wellbeing
Understand signs in others that they may be struggling with sleep
Help is readily available
You’re not alone
Be kind to yourself – making changes can be hard work, but consistency and
determination does pay off

EVERY WOMAN DAY – 3rd September 2023 – a project created to raise awarness and share experiences about womens helath. EveryWoman Day is proud to support the work of Women’s Health Concern, the patient arm of the British Menopause Society, and of Bladder Health UK, the patient support and information group. These charities strive to make our lives better.

EveryWoman Day is a project created to raise awareness and share experiences about women’s health, so that other women can benefit.

We care about your health, your emotions, your life story, because every woman matters.

Because ordinary women do extraordinary things every day.

Because we are you.

Research funds tend to be spent on killer health conditions, so many women’s health problems are poorly understood, even when they are severely life limiting.

We women are inspiring, resourceful, strong and wonderful, but they don’t always want to talk openly about problems with lady parts.

That’s why this project is illustrated with belly pics which don’t show faces but can show what women are up against, and how they cope.

Join in!

Whether you are a patient, a nurse, a parent or a friend, you something to share. If there isn’t a story section about your condition, start one!

Choose whatever word or phrase sums it up for you, and write it on your belly then take a selfie or get someone to snap it.

Share your experience with others, for others.

World Sepsis Day 13th September 2023 – Join over 7,000 facilities and organizations worldwide by hosting your own event. Not sure how to get started or how to expand on your prior events? Check out our simple, fun, and effective ideas below!

Like and share their WSD posts on their social networks:

World Sepsis Day is an initiative by the Global Sepsis Alliance and has been established in 2012. The GSA is a non-profit charity organization with the mission to provide global leadership to reduce the worldwide burden of sepsis. To find out more about the GSA and the team behind it, please visit the GSA website.

Every year on September 13th, countless events raising awareness of sepsis are organized all over the world. The events range from medical education to information for lay people, sports activities, fundraising events like pink picnics, and much more.

World Sepsis Day is held on September 13th every year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against sepsis. Sepsis accounts for at least 11 million deaths worldwide annually. Yet, depending on country and education, sepsis is known only to 7 – 50 % of the people. Likewise, it is poorly known that sepsis can be prevented by vaccination and clean care and that early recognition and treatment reduces sepsis mortality by 50 %. This lack of knowledge makes sepsis the number one preventable cause of death worldwide.

World Patient Safety Day 2023 will be observed on 17 September under the theme “Engaging patients for patient safety”, in recognition of the crucial role patients, families and caregivers play in the safety of health care.

Evidence shows that when patients are treated as partners in their care, significant gains are made in safety, patient satisfaction and health outcomes. By becoming active members of the health care team, patients can contribute to the safety of their care and that of the health care system as a whole.

“Elevate the voice of patients!”

Through the slogan “Elevate the voice of patients!”, WHO calls on all stakeholders to take necessary action to ensure that patients are involved in policy formulation, are represented in governance structures, are engaged in co-designing safety strategies, and are active partners in their own care. This can only be achieved by providing platforms and opportunities for diverse patients, families, and communities to raise their voice, concerns, expectations and preferences to advance safety, patient centeredness, trustworthiness, and equity.

World Patient Safety Day is one of WHO’s global public health days. It was established in 2019 by the 72^nd World Health Assembly through the adoption of resolution WHA72.6 – “Global action on patient safety”. Its objectives are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and work towards global solidarity and action by Member States to enhance patient safety and reduce patient harm.

National Eczema Week 9th – 16th September 2023 – National Eczema Society is raising awareness of the true impact of eczema during National Eczema Week this year (9-16 September 2023). Our More than “Just an Itch” campaign will highlight the debilitating nature of eczema and its profound effect on people’s lives, shining a light on the mental health impacts of eczema that are so often overlooked.

We recently conducted an online patient survey to better understand how eczema affects people’s emotional, social and personal well-being. Shockingly, 91% of respondents said their eczema made them feel self-conscious or embarrassed, and 83% were envious of those who do not have eczema. Around 4 in 5 respondents thought that eczema reduces patients’ quality of life. A big thanks to everyone who took part in the survey.

Living with eczema can be physically uncomfortable, but it also takes an emotional toll. The persistent itching, pain, and visible appearance of eczema patches can lead to feelings of self-consciousness, low self-esteem, and social anxiety. People with eczema may experience frustration, embarrassment, along with greater anxiety and depression due to the constant struggle with their skin condition – it really is More than “just an itch”.

Our campaign’s core objective is to encourage people to have open conversations about eczema and how this affects their mental health and emotional well-being. Through sharing stories of eczema patients’ experiences, resilience, and coping mechanisms, we want to help reduce the stigma associated with the condition and foster an environment of empathy and understanding.

We are producing a series of engaging videos and podcasts for the campaign, helping to raise awareness of the wider impacts of eczema that are not acknowledged enough. We also want to encourage and empower people to open up and share how they really feel about living with this long-term condition.

To donate to our More than “Just an Itch” campaign Text ITCH to 70450 to donate £5.(Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don’t wish to hear more from us, please text ITCHNOINFO instead.) For more details head to the National Eczama website here.

Shine Night Walk 23rd September, 2023 – On 23 September, London’s streets are ours. Stride by stride we will soak up the city’s lights and get closer to beating cancer. Last year Shine Night Walk London raised £2,022,844.

Raise crucial funds with every step from, the House of Parliament to the Natural History Museum.

Choose a distance to suit your ability and select the type of cancer research that you’d like to fundraise for.

All walks take place on 23 September at various start times throughout the evening. Refer to your email or pack for your confirmed start time.

Whether you’re planning to power walk, stride, or stroll it, you can find out how long each walk will take here.

For more information, check out the Shine Night Walk FAQ’s.

World First Aid Day 2023 – 9th September – Every year, World First Aid Day has a different theme. The theme for World First Aid Day 2023 is ‘First Aid in the Digital World’.

Digital technology has a really important part to play in helping people of all ages become more aware of first aid. From online courses to YouTube videos, podcasts, websites and more, there are plenty of sources online which can help people learn basic first aid techniques. One of the main advantages of this is that people can learn first aid online at their own pace, fitting in with their own schedules. If we dedicated just one minute of the time we spend online each day to learning first aid, we could potentially provide better outcomes for people in emergencies, and even save lives.

The idea of using technology is perfect for promoting one of the main aims of World First Aid Day – making first aid accessible to everyone.

The idea for raising awareness about the vital importance of first aid goes back to 1859. During the Battle of Solferino, a Swiss businessman named Henry Dunant helped many seriously injured soldiers from both sides on the battlefield. He was so upset at what he’d seen, with many soldiers dying from their injuries due to lack of care, that he went on to become one of the founding members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in 1863.