National Health Awareness Days in April

April is a month rich with health awareness days. If you are looking for something to get involved with in April, take a look at some of these national annual awareness days and see if you can find something to volunteer for.

A Day to End Sexual Violence

The national campaign, A Day to End Sexual Violence, occurs yearly in April to help raise awareness for and to focus on preventing sexual violence. The National Sex Violence Resource Center website has ideas on how you can raise awareness in your neighborhood and you can post any events you are aware of on their online calendar. They also have an online store those who want to raise awareness can purchase items to help in the fight against sexual violence.

National Alcohol Screening Day

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and during this time there is one day devoted each year to raising awareness for alcohol screening. National Alcohol Screening Day provides education and information on alcohol and health and provides free, anonymous alcohol screenings for those with alcohol problems, or suspect they have an alcohol problem. According to the National Alcohol Screening Day website: "The program is designed to provide outreach, screening, and education about alcohol's effects on health for the general public."

World Health Day

World Health Day is an annual event in April that is meant to draw attention to major global health issues each year. This year's campaign is geared toward raising awareness on how to protect the world's health from the effects of climate change.

World Health Day is sponsored by the World Health Organization, who has a mission in place and goals set for World Health Day. According to World Health Organization, the mission of World Health Day is to:

- Raise awareness and public understanding of the health consequences of climate change.

- Generate effective actions by organizations, local communities, the medical community and the government to reduce the impact of climate change on health.

- Demonstrate the medical community's role in facing the challenges of the effects of climate change.

- Get more people involved in the importance of this issue.

World Voice Day

World Voice Day is an annual, national event that is used to raise awareness for good voice habits. How many of us think about doing this? I know I never did. The American Academy of Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery), sponsors of World Voice Day, use this event to encourage men and women of all ages to access their vocal health and to learn and maintain good voice habits.

For World Voice Day events and advertisements, visit the AAO-HNS website.

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is an annual event in April that features public demonstrations of the art and health benefits that are related to Tai Chi and Qigong.

Held the last Saturday in April each year, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day promotes the disciplines involved with Tai Chi and Qigong. This annual event also raises awareness for the powerful effects of traditional Chinese medicine, its benefits, and the medical research surrounding them.