Join Us in Raising Awareness for These Causes in October

By Theo Smith, Communications Intern

Patient advocacy organizations work tirelessly to educate, promote, advocate, and raise awareness and funding for their causes. Awareness months give us the opportunity to rally around a common objective and show these organizations how much we appreciate their work. Here’s how you can help advance these groups’ missions and spread awareness.

Eye Injury Prevention Month

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month. Prevent Blindness’s mission is to prevent blindness and preserve sight. Thousands of eye accidents happen each day; 90 percent of these are preventable with the use of appropriate safety eyewear. Because there are good eye safety regulations in the workplace, the home is the fastest-growing location for eye injuries. Eye injuries are almost as great a danger to bystanders as the people using dangerous tools or chemicals in the home. Good eye protection is just as important for those watching you work as for the workers themselves.

Ways to get involved:

• Learn more about preventing eye injuries.
• Promote awareness on social media and tag @PBA_savingsight

Health Literacy Month

Since 1999, organizations around the world have been observing October as Health Literacy Month. It is recognized as a time to bring attention to the importance of making health information easy to understand and making the health care system easier to navigate. Learn more about how to celebrate health literacy month from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Ways to get involved:

• Watch this health literacy video.
• Learn more about health literacy from health.gov.
• Take an online health literacy course.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Currently, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 12 percent. This means there is a 1 in 8 chance she will develop breast cancer. This also means there is a 7 in 8 chance she will never have the disease. The American Cancer Society provides patients and their family caregivers with information about breast cancer, such as what it is and how it forms, as well as the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Ways to get involved:

• Read the risk factors and preventative measures.
• Read the American Cancer Society’s guide on breast cancer.
• Share stories of hope on social media.

Spina Bifida Awareness Month

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month—a time to celebrate the hundreds of thousands of people living with Spina Bifida. Every October, the Spina Bifida Association shares community stories to raise more awareness and support around those living with Spina Bifida. It’s also a great time to challenge ourselves to find new ways to get involved in raising awareness and in advocacy activities.

Ways to get involved:

• Read stories of patients living with spina bifida.
• Find a local community to join.
• Read the Spina Bifida Association’s blog to learn more.

Awareness Days:

• World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10)
• National Health Education Week (Oct. 21–25)
• National Healthcare Quality Week (Oct. 20–26)
• World Psoriasis Day (Oct. 29)