Health Observance Corner

August

National Immunization Awareness Month
National Partnership for Immunization
“Disease outbreaks occur when immunization rates decline. For example, from 1989 through 1991, low rates of measles, mumps and rubella immunization among pre-school aged children resulted in a measles epidemic that caused over 55,000 cases and 120 deaths.”

Cataract Awareness Month
American Academy of Ophthalmology
http://www.aao.org/aao/
“Did you know that 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts, one of the most curable causes of vision loss?”

Psoriasis Awareness Month
National Psoriasis Foundation
“Ten percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. Psoriasis can affect anyone at any age, including children. There is no cure yet for this lifelong disease.”

September

National Sickle Cell Month
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/news/events/month.phtml
“In the United States with an estimated population of over 270 million, about 1,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease each year.”

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
http://www.ovarian.org
“In women age 35-74, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths.”

National Food Safety Education Month
International Food Safety Council
National Restaurant Association Education Foundation
http://www.nraef.org/nfsem/
This year's theme is "Don't Compromise - Clean and Sanitize."

Source: Source: 2006 National Health Observances, National Health Information Center, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC. http://www.healthfinder.gov/library/nho/nho.asp