There are many medical awareness days throughout the year, each of which was started as a way to spread information on various illnesses and diseases that impact people worldwide. Additionally, these days are used to promote health initiatives surrounding the specific illnesses, and they give governments and organizations the chance to highlight the health challenges that go along with these ailments. As medical communications professionals, it’s important to stay on top of industry trends, which are often influenced by an annual calendar of awareness days. These days often influence government announcements, product or treatment release dates, and medcomms trending topics on social media, journals, and more.
Below you’ll find a list of medical awareness days you'll see in 2025 - we’ve also spotlighted a few, and why we think they’re so important.
February Medical Awareness Days
World Cancer Day — February 4
Unfortunately, cancer is so widespread that it impacts tens of millions of people worldwide. That’s why it’s so important to use the power of awareness days to bring this issue to the forefront, and give the public the chance to learn about its prevention, detection, and treatment. The theme for World Cancer Day from 2025 to 2027 is “United by Unique” and it places people and their unique stories at the heart of the conversation.
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation – February 6
Wear Red Day (for awareness of heart disease) – February 7
International Childhood Cancer Day – February 15
Mental Health Nurses Day – February 21
Rare Disease Day – February 28
March Medical Awareness Days
World Birth Defects Day – March 3
World Hearing Day – March 3
World Obesity Day – March 4
World Lymphedema Day – March 6
International Women's Day – March 8
World Sleep Day – March 14
World Oral Health Day – March 20
World Down Syndrome Day – March 21
World Water Day – March 22
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day — March 24
You might think that TB is a disease of the past, but unfortunately, that’s not the case at all. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report noting that more than eight million people had been diagnosed with TB that year. This was the highest number of TB cases recorded since the WHO began global TB monitoring back in 1995. World TB Day is an important one, as it can be used to educate the public and teach people that TB is still around and that it is something to be watched. This won’t cure TB, but mass awareness can go a long way toward preventing it.
Purple Day (epilepsy awareness) – March 26
April Medical Awareness Days
World Autism Awareness Day – April 2
World Health Day – April 7
Functional Neurological Disorder Awareness Day – April 13
Advance Care Planning Day – April 16
World Hemophilia Day – April 17
May Medical Awareness Days
National Physicians' Day – May 1
World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day – May 4
International Day of the Midwife – May 5
World Pulmonary Hypertension Day – May 5
World Asthma Day – May 6
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
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
World Hypertension Day – May 17
World IBD Day – May 19
World Schizophrenia and Psychosis Day – May 24
National Reflexology Day – May 27
National Multiple Births Awareness Day – May 28
World Multiple Sclerosis Day (MS) – May 30
World No Tobacco Day – May 31
June Medical Awareness Days
Intergenerational Day Canada – June 1
National Health and Fitness Day – June
Action Anxiety Day – June 10
World Blood Donor Day — June 14
Jumping to June, you’ll find World Blood Donor Day on your calendar. Now, this is not a day dedicated to educating about one particular disease, but it is perhaps one of the most important medical awareness days of the year. Blood donations are so important, but blood banks around the world are constantly facing shortages. A blood donation can save someone’s life, and that’s what this day is all about — teaching and reminding people that they have the ability to be a hero by simply giving a bit of their time and blood.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – June 15
World Sickle Cell Day – June 19
National Cancer Wellness Awareness Day – June 26
PTSD Awareness Day – June 27
World Scleroderma Day – June 29
July Medical Awareness Days
Glioblastoma Awareness Day – July 17
Uterine Fibroid Awareness Day – July 21
World Hepatitis Day – July 28
August Medical Awareness Days
World PVNH Disorder Awareness Day – August 7
International Overdose Awareness Day – August 31
September Medical Awareness Days
National Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Awareness Day – September 4
World Duchenne Day – September 7
World First Aid Day – September 9
International FASD Awareness Day – September 9
World Sepsis Day – September 13
Myotonic Dystrophy Awareness Day – September 15
Sport Purple for Platelets – September 26
World Rabies Day – September 28
World Heart Day — September 29
In some cases, you might not be able to prevent yourself from getting a disease. Fortunately, with many cardiovascular diseases, you can get ahead of them and stop yourself from ever being affected by one. Yes, you could have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, but many are preventable. Governments and organizations use World Heart Day to remind people of this, promoting heart-healthy lifestyles and raising awareness of the various cardiovascular diseases one can face.
October Medical Awareness Days
World Meningitis Day – October 5
World Cerebral Palsy Day – October 6
World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day – October 9
National Children's Hospice Palliative Care Day – October 9
World Sight Day – October 10
World Mental Health Day — October 10
Not all illnesses are physical, but for some reason, there is still a stigma surrounding mental health. Everyone has mental health, and just as anyone can develop cancer, the same can be said for mental illnesses. World Mental Health Day educates the public on the various mental health issues that people face worldwide, and reduces that stigma and help everyone dealing with these issues as they work through their mental health journeys.
World Arthritis Day – October 12
World Thrombosis Day – October 13
National Metastatic Breast Cancer Day – October 13
World Spine Day – October 16
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Action Day – October 18
National Psoriatic Arthritis Day – October 19
National Pharmacy Technicians Day – October 21
International Stuttering Awareness Day – October 22
Brain Cancer Awareness Day – October 24
World Amyloidosis Day – October 26
World Psoriasis Day – October 29
November Medical Awareness Days
World Neuroendocrine Cancer (NET) Day – November 10
World Pneumonia Day – November 12
World Diabetes Day – November 14
World Prematurity Day – November 17
National Enteropathic Arthritis Awareness Day – November 19
World Pancreatic Cancer Day – November 20
Stomach Cancer Awareness Day – November 30
December Medical Awareness Days
World AIDS Day – December 1
Women's Brain Health Day – December 2
International Day of Persons With Disabilities – December 3
There are so many important awareness days - and months - to keep track of so that healthcare professionals can be properly recognized for their works, diseases or conditions can be spotlighted, and patients can tell their stories. We encourage you to search for more if you don’t find the one you’re looking for listed here - many organizations create new recognition days each year!
The team here at CTC can keep you up to date on the latest and upcoming medical awareness days. Stay informed by signing up for our newsletter. We’ll plant 10 trees on your behalf as part of our environmental protection efforts after you do. You can also stay tuned to our Resource Hub!
