January February March April May June July August September October
The calendar features health awareness:days, weeks, months. Events marked with an asterisk (*) take place on the same day every year. These events are either promoted by recognized health organizations or recognized in the professional health community. Not all websites and events listed are celebrated or endorsed by Health Canada. You can submit a health promotion awareness event for 2023 on behalf of your organization. Events are removed from the calendar once the date has passed, unless you mention next year’s event. If your annual event was removed, you can submit it again when the next occasion is announced.
January
- Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
- Bell Let’s Talk Day – January 25
February
- Preventative Health Awareness Month
- Psychology Month
- Recreation Therapy Month
- Eating Disorders Awareness Week – February 1 to 7
- World Cancer Day – February 4*
- International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation – February 6*
- Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week – February 7 to 14
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week – February 13 to 17
- Wear Red Canada – February 13
- International Childhood Cancer Day – February 15*
- Orthotist and Prosthetist Week (only in French) – February 20 to 25
- Pink Shirt Day – February 22
- Rare Disease Day – February 28
March
- 5 Days for the Homeless Month
- Brain Health Awareness Month
- Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- Liver Health Month
- Music Therapy Awareness Month
- Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month
- National Social Work Month
- Nutrition Month
- World Obesity Day – March 4
- Dental Assistants Recognition Week – March 5 to 11
- World Lymphedema Day – March 6*
- International Women’s Day – March 8
- World Glaucoma Week – March 12 to 18
- Safe Sleep Week – March 13 to 17
- Creative Arts Therapy Week – March 13 to 19
- Brain Awareness Week – March 13 to 19
- Neurodiversity Celebration Week – March 13 to 19
- World Sleep Day – March 17
- National Poison Prevention Week – March 19 to 25
- World Down Syndrome Day – March 21*
- World Water Day – March 22*
- World Tuberculosis Day – March 24*
- Purple Day – March 26*
April
- HIE Awareness Month
- IBS Awareness Month
- National Oral Health Month
- Parkinson Awareness Month
- Rosacea Awareness Month
- World Autism Awareness Day – April 2*
- Green Shirt Day – April 7
- World Health Day – April 7*
- National Dental Hygienists Week – April 4 to 10*
- National Medical Laboratory Week – April 9 to 15
- FND Awareness Day – April 13*
- National Organ and Tissue Awareness Week – April 18 to 24*
- World Hemophilia Day – April 17*
- Global Porphyria Day – April 19
- National Immunization Awareness Week – April 23 to 30
- National Day of Mourning – April 28*
May
- Ankylosing Spondylitis Awareness Month
- Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
- Brain Tumour Awareness Month
- Celiac Disease Awareness Month
- Cystic Fibrosis Month
- GBS/CIDP Awareness Month
- Hemochromatosis Awareness Month
- Hypertension Awareness Month
- Huntington Disease Awareness Month
- Li-Fraumeni Syndrome/TP53 Awareness Month
- Lupus Awareness Month
- MedicAlert Month
- Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month
- MS Awareness Month
- National Physiotherapy Month
- National Sun Awareness Month
- Sexual Violence Prevention Month
- Speech and Hearing Month
- Vision Health Month
- National Physicians’ Day – May 1*
- Mental Health Week – May 1 to 7
- National Heart Failure Awareness Week – May 1 to 7
- Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Syndrome Awareness – May 1 to 31
- International Day of the Midwife – May 5
- World Pulmonary Hypertension Day – May 5*
- National Child and Youth Mental Health Day – May 7*
- Check Your Skin Day – May 8*
- World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day – May 8*
- World Ovarian Cancer Day – May 8*
- World Lupus Day – May 10*
- National Nursing Week – May 10 to 16
- Canadian Viral Hepatitis Elimination Day – May 11
- Fibromyalgia Awareness Day – May 12
- International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases – May 12*
- International Nurses Day – May 12*
- Apraxia Awareness Day – May 14*
- Naturopathic Medicine Week – May 15 to 21*
- World Hypertension Day – May 17*
- World IBD Day – May 19*
- Parademic Services Week – May 21 to 27
- World Schizophrenia and Psychosis Day – May 24*
- National Multiple Births Awareness Day – May 28*
- National Reflexology Day – May 30
- World Multiple Sclerosis Day (MS) – May 30*
- World No Tobacco Day – May 31*
June
- ALS Awareness Month
- Brain Injury Awarness Month
- Canadian Men’s Health Month
- Cataract Awareness Month
- CMV Awareness Month
- Migraine Awareness Month *
- Parks and Recreation Month
- Intergenerational Day Canada – June 1
- National Health and Fitness Day – June 4
- Spinal CSF Leak Awareness Week – June 4 to 11
- World Environment Day – June 5*
- Hidradenitis Suppurativa Awareness Week – June 5 to 11
- Action Anxiety Day – June 10*
- World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – June 15*
- World Sickle Cell Day – June 19*
- International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – June 26*
- National Cancer Wellness Awareness Day – June 26
- PTSD Awareness Day – June 27*
- World Scleroderma Day – June 29*
July
- National Injury Prevention Day – July 5
- Glioblastoma Awareness Day – July 17*
- International Self-Care Day – July 24*
- World Hepatitis Day – July 28*
August
- Gastroparesis Awareness Month
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
- International Youth Day – August 12*
- World Humanitarian Day – August 19*
- International Overdose Awareness Day – August 31*
September
- Acne Awareness Month
- Arthritis Awareness Month
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Awareness Month
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Craniofacial Acceptance Month
- Duchenne Awareness Month
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Month
- Inherited Retinal Disease Awareness Month
- International Pain Awareness Month
- Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
- Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
- Sickle Cell Awareness Month
- World Alzheimer’s Month
- National Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Awareness Day – September 4*
- Fibromyalgia Awareness Week – September 4 to 11
- World Duchenne Day – September 7*
- World First Aid Day – September 9*
- International FASD Awareness Day – September 9*
- World Suicide Prevention Day – September 10*
- World Sepsis Day – September 13
- World Conference on Women Health Science and Care – September 14 to 15
- Myotonic Dystrophy Awareness Day – September 15
- Terry Fox Run – September 17
- World Rabies Day – September 28*
- Sport Purple for Platelets – September 29
October
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Canadian Cancer Society
- Children’s Vision Month
- Mark it Read for Dyslexia Awareness Month
- Occupational Therapy Month
- Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
- National Breastfeeding Week – October 1 to 7*
- World Cerebral Palsy Day – October 6*
- World Mental Health Day – October 10*
- World Sight Day – October 10*
- World Arthritis Day – October 12*
- World Thrombosis Day – October 13*
- World Hospice and Palliative Care Day – October 14
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day – October 15*
- World Spine Day – October 16*
- Invisible Disabilities Week – October 15 to 21
- National Pharmacy Technicians Day – October 17
- National Psoriatic Arthritis Day – October 19*
- Purple Thursday – October 19*
- International Stuttering Awareness Day – October 22*
- Canadian Intensive Care Week – October 22 to 28
- Respiratory Therapy Week – October 22 to 28
- Brain Cancer Awareness Day – October 24*
- World Amyloidosis Day – October 26
- World Psoriasis Day – October 29*
November
- Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month
- Eczema Awareness Month
- Fall Prevention Month
- Indigenous Disability Awareness Month
- Lung Cancer Awareness Month
- Movember
- National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Osteoporosis Month
- Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month
- World Pneumonia Day – November 12*
- World Diabetes Day – November 14*
- World Prematurity Day – November 17*
- World Antibiotic Awareness Week – November 18 to 24*
- National Enteropathic Arthritis Awareness Day – November 19*
- National Child Day – November 20*
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – November 25*
- Stomach Cancer Awareness Day – November 30*
December
- World AIDS Day – December 1*
- Women’s Brain Health Day – December 2*
- National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – December 6*
- Human Rights Day – December 10*
- Anti-Bullying Day – December 17*
January February March April May June July August September October
