Herewith a list sorted by months of the most popular health and awareness ribbons globally (not just in South Africa).
January | School Safety Awareness Month Self-Help Group Weight Loss National Mentoring Month National Blood Donor Month Birth Defects Prevention Month Days in January 1 – World Day of Peace 4 – World Braille Day 11- World Human trafficking day 15 – Intestinal Malrotation and Volvulus 24 – Moebius Syndrome 27 – Holocaust Remembrance Day – (UN) – 30 – CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) 31 – World Leprosy Day – 31 – Street Children’s Day |
February | Social Justice Awareness Month 01-07 World Interfaith Harmony Week 06 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 13 World Radio Day 14 Valentine’s Day 20 World Day of Social Justice International Mother Language Day Month Weeks in February 1st Wk – Eating Disorder Awareness Week; 1st Wk – National Therapeutic Recreation Week Days in February February 2 – Rheumatoid Arthritis February 4 – World Cancer Day February 6 – International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation – (International) February 11 – World Day of the Sick February 12 – International Day of Women’s Health – (Purple ribbon) February 15 – International Childhood Cancer Day February 20 – World Day of Social Justice February 21 – International Mother Language Day February 27 – Anosmia February 28 (29th in leap year) – Rare Disease Day |
March | March Colorectal Cancer DVT – (Deep Vein Thrombosis) Prevention Developmental Disabilities Month Endometriosis Epilepsy – (Epilepsy Canada) Foot Health Month Help Fight Liver Disease Month Music in Our Schools Month Trisomy Women’s History Month Weeks in March 1st Wk – World Glaucoma Awareness Week Days in March March 1 – International Wheelchair Day March 1 – Self-Injury March 5 – Multiple Personality Day March 6 – National Lymphedema March 8 – United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace – (UN) March 8 – International Women’s Day – (UN) March 12 – World Glaucoma Day March 14 – International Day of Action for Rivers March 16 – Brain Injury (Global) March 18 – National Trisomy 18 Awareness Day March 20 – International Day of Happiness March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination March 21 – World Poetry Day – (UN – UNESCO) March 21 – International Day of Nowruz March 24 – International Day for Achievers March 24 – World Tuberculosis Day – (UN) March 26 – Purple Day for Epilepsy |
April | Alcohol Community Service Month Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) Awareness Month Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Limb Loss Parkinson’s Disease Sarcoidosis Sexual Assault Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Spondylitis Stress Testicular Cancer Volunteer Appreciation Month Weeks in April 2nd Saturday of April – Sarcoidosis Week (NPAW) to enhance porphyria awareness in communities by spreading the word about porphyria. April 12-18 – Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. 20- 27 – National Organ Donor Awareness Week 2nd Wk – World Homeopathy Awareness Week 3rd Wk – National Medical Laboratory Week; National Days in April April 1 – Youth Homelessness Matters Day April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day – (UN) April 4 – Auditory Processing Disorder April 6 – Bohring-Opitz Syndrome (International) April 7 – World Health Day – (UN) April 7 – Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide April 8 – Cushing Disease/Syndrome April 9 – National Alcohol Screening Day – (NASD) April 11 – Parkinson’s Disease International. April 12 – International Day for Street Children April 13 – Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) (International) April 17 – World Hemophilia Day – (UN) April 19 – Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Action Day April 22 – Earth Day April 23 – Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) April 25 – World Meningitis Day April 25 – World Malaria Day – (WHO) April 25 – Parental Alienation – (PAAD) April 28 – International Workers Memorial Day or International Commemoration Day – (ICD) April 29 – Make-A-Wish Day (International) April 29 – Day of Remembrance of Victims of Chemical Warfare April 29 – International Noise |
May | Asthma Arthritis Month Allergy/Asthma Better Sleep Month Better Speech and Hearing Month Borderline Personality Disorder Brain Tumor Celiac Awareness Month Correct Posture Month Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) Fibromyalgia Awareness Foot Health Month Haitian Heritage Month Hepatitis Lupus Lyme Disease Mental Health Month Mobility Weeks in May Week surrounding May 5 – International Cri du Chat Syndrome Awareness Week 1st Saturday in May each year is World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day 1st Tuesday of May – World Asthma Day 2nd Sunday of May – International Mothers’ Day 2nd Week in May – Williams Syndrome Awareness Week 3rd Thursday of May – Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Days in May Misophonia falls on the first Monday in May, and is known as Misophonia Monday May 1 – Global Mesh May 2 – International Scurvy May 5 – International Midwives Day May 5 – World Asthma Day May 6 – World Moyamoya Day May 6 – International Awareness Day for Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bones) May 7 – Bladder Cancer May 8 – World Ovarian Cancer May 8 – World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day May 10 – World Lupus Day May 12 – Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) May 12 – International Nurses Day May 12 – International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) May 15 – International Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) May 15 – International Day of Families – (UN) May 17 – Worldwide Neurofibromatosis (NF) May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia May 18 – International AIDS Vaccine Day May 18 – International AIDS Candlelight Memorial May 19 – World Hepatitis Day May 19 – Schizencephaly May 20 – International Behcet’s Disease Awareness Day May 20 – International Blue Cone Monochromacy May 20 – World AiArthritis Day (AiArthritis Day) – Global – Annually – (Was: World Autoimmune Arthritis Day (WAAD)) May 21 – Global Accessibility May 22 – International Day for Biological Diversity – (UN) May 23 – International Day to End Obstetric Fistula May 24 – Schizophrenia (Canada) May 25 – World Thyroid Day (WTD) May 27 – World Multiple Sclerosis (MS). May 28 – World Hunger Day May 31 – World No Tobacco Day – (UN) |
June | Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS) Chronic Venous Insufficiency Migraine and Headache Hemiplegic Migraine Men’s Health Month PTSD Weeks in June Days in June June 1 – International Children’s Day June 1 – World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness June 4 – International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression June 7 – World Food Safety Day – (UN) June 8 – World Brain Tumor Day June 13 – International Albinism June 14 – World Blood Donor Day – (UN) June 15 – World Elder Abuse (WEAAD) June 17 – CDKL5 Worldwide June 19 – World Sickle Cell Day – (UN) June 20 – World Refugee Day – (UN) June 21 – Global day of recognition of ALS/MND June 23 – Dravet Syndrome. June 25 – World Vitiligo June 26 – International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – (UN) June 29 – Chronic Migraine June 29 – World Scleroderma June 30 – Arthrogryposis |
July | Disability Pride Month (NY) Fragile X (FXS) National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month (NCCAPM) Weeks in July Days in July July 1 – Doctor’s Day – Bidhan Chandra Roy Birthday July 2 – National Corpus Callosum (Australia) July 5 2015 – International Day of Cooperatives (Recognized by the UN first Saturday in July) July 6 – International Kissing Day July 11 – World Population Day July 12 – Disability Awareness Day (DAD) (U.K.) July 15 – World Youth Skills Day July 17 – World Day for International Justice July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day July 22 – Fragile X (FXS) July 23 – World Sjogren’s Day July 28 – World Hepatitis Day July 30 – International Day of Friendship |
August | Autoinflammatory Disorders Awareness Cataract Children’s Eye Health and Safety Children’s Vision and Learning Digestive Tract Paralysis (DTP) Don’t be a Bully Month Immunization Awareness Neurosurgery Outreach Month Never Leave a Child Unattended in a Car, Purple Ribbon Month Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Studious Behavior Awarenessa Weeks in August Days in August August 1 – Clergy Sexual Abuse US and International August 9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples August 12 – International Youth Day August 13 – International Left-handers Day August 19 – World Humanitarian Day August 30 – International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances August 31 – International Overdose |
September | Alopecia Arnold-Chiari Malformation Achalasia – achalasiaawareness.org Deaf (International) Lymphoma Polycystic ovary syndrome Prostate Thyroid Cancer World Alzheimer’s Disease Month Women of Achievement Month Weeks in September Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week – First week of September – (4th – 10th Sept, 2017) Last week of September – International Week of the Deaf (International) Days in September September 4 – World Cerebral Palsy Day (List of Famous People with Cerebral Palsy) September 5 – International Day of Charity – (U.N.) September 7 – Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy September 9 – International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Children) September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day September 12 – World First Aid Day (2015) September 13 – Celiac Disease – List of Gluten Free Food and Drink Products September 15 – World Lymphoma – Hodgkin’s Lymphoma September 16 – National School Backpack September 18 – National HIV/AIDS and Aging September 19 – Aortic Dissection September 19 – Usher Syndrome (Global) September 21 – World Alzheimer’s Day September 21 – International Day of Peace September 22 – World Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Day September 23 – Falls Prevention – (First Day of Fall) September 24 – Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) September 25 – International Ataxia September 26 – Mesothelioma September 29 – World Heart Day September 28 – World Rabies Day September 30 – Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy |
October | Breast Cancer Colon Cancer Disability Employment Diversity Diarrhea Domestic Violence Dwarfism Dysautonomia (www.dysautonomiainternational.org) Eczema Emotional Intelligence – (www.e-ii.org) Hunger International Walk to School Month – (Canada) Lupus Raynaud’s Rett Syndrome Selective Mutism Spina Bifida Spina bifida awareness month Weeks in October Days in October October 1 – International Day of Older Persons – (UN) October 1 – World Vegetarian Day October 2 – World Cerebral Palsy Day October 5 – World Day of Bullying Prevention October 7 – International Trigeminal Neuralgia October 7 – World Cerebral Palsy October 8 – World Humanitarian Action Day October 9 – PANDAS / PANS October 10 – World Hospice and Palliative Care Day October 10 – World Mental Health Day October 10 – World Day Against Death Penalty, recognized by the WCADP October 11 – International Day of the Girl Child October 14 – Global Food Protein Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) Day October 15 – World Blind Day / World Sight Day October 15 – International Day of Rural Women – (UN) October 15 – Global Hand-washing Day October 16 – World Food Day – (UN) October 17 – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – (UN) October 18 – World Vasectomy Day October 20 – World Osteoporosis Day October 22 – Phelan-McDermid Syndrome – International Day of Awareness October 22 – International Stuttering October 23 – Kabuki Syndrome October 24 – World Development Information Day October 24 – United Nations Day October 25 – Spina Bifida October 25 – Hydrocephalus Day October 25 – 31 – International Epidermolysis Bullosa Awareness Week October 27 – World Day for Audiovisual Heritage October 29 – World Stroke Day |
November | COPD Awareness Month Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month Alzheimer’s Dercum’s Disease (Adiposis Dolorosa) Diabetes Epilepsy Month Good Nutrition Month Hospice Month Lung Cancer Prematurity Prostate Cancer / Men’s Health Red Ribbon Month (Anti-drunk-driving) RSD/CRPS Vegan Weeks in November National Radiologic Technology Week Days in November November 1 – World Vegan Day November 1 – Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome November 8 – Aicardi Syndrome November 10 – World NET Cancer November 10 – World Immunization Day November 12 – World Pneumonia Day November 13 – World Pancreatic Cancer Day November 14 – World Diabetes Day – (UN) November 15 – World Ohtahara Syndrome November 16 – International Day for Tolerance – (UN) November 17 – International Students Day November 17 – World Prematurity Day November 18 – World COPD Day November 19 – International Men’s Day (IMD) November 20 – Universal Children’s Day – (UN) November 24 – N24 November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – (UN) November 30 – Self Harm |
December | AIDS Month Constipation Universal Human Rights Month Weeks in December 5th-11th December – Vaginal Atrophy Awareness week (UK) Days in December December 1 – World Aids Day – (UN) December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities – (UN) December 5 – International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development December 6 – National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada) December 10 – Human Rights Day – (UN) |