Health Observances

Find the latest news, resources and toolkits to help your organization support health observances targeting cancer and tobacco issues.

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January: Cervical Health Awareness

• Prevent Cervical Cancer with the right test at the right time (English). CDC
• Prevenga el cáncer de cuello uterino con la prueba adecuada en el momento oportuno (Spanish). CDC
• Cervical Cancer Awareness. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

February: American Heart Month with smoking cessation

• Health benefits of quitting smoking, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Stop Smoking: the tools you need, American Lung Association
• ABC's of Heart Health, US Dept of Health & Human Services

March: National Colorectal Cancer Awareness

• Colorectal Cancer Awareness Social Media Toolkit, George Washington Cancer Institute.
• Colorectal Cancer Awareness Toolkit, National Health Information Center.
• 80% by 2018 Tools & Resources, National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.

• 80% by 2018 Pledge, National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.

• 80% by 2018 Sizzle Reel (40 Seconds), National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
• Colorectal (Colon) Cancer Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.​
• Better Check Your Bowels- Screening information for colon and rectal cancer, National Institutes of Health.

April: National Minority Health Month

• Social Media Content and Guidance, US Dept of Health & Human Services, Office of Minority Health
• Toolkit, US Dept of Health & Human Services, Office of Minority Health
• Programs addressing health disparities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Minority Cancer Awareness: What Everyone Should Know, American Cancer Society
• Although cigarette smoking has declined significantly since 1964, very large disparities in tobacco use remain across groups defined by race, ethnicity, educational level, and socioeconomic status and across regions of the country. (SGR50 Major Conclusion 7).

May: Vital Signs on Hispanic Health

Each month, the CDC Vital Signs Program releases a call-to-action about an important public health topic based on the latest available national surveillance data.  In May's Vital Signs issue, the focus is on health of Hispanic residents living in the U.S. from 2009 – 2013.

• May 2015 Vital Signs Issue: Hispanic Health: English; Español (Spanish). 
• Infograph: ¡ A la Buena Salud! - To Good Health! : English; Español (Spanish). 

Fast Facts:

• 57 million Hispanics and Latinos live in the U.S., making up about 17% of the U.S. population.  This in the largest minority group in the U.S.
• U.S. Hispanic residents were on average nearly 15 years younger than whites.  Since chronic diseases often take years to develop, if they act now, they had a better than usual chance of making a difference in their long-term health.
• Although Hispanics had a 24% lower all-cause death rate and therefore might appear to be healthier as a group, this does not hold for all diseases.  In particular, Hispanics had a 51% higher death rate than whites from diabetes and 48% higher death rate from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.
• Risk factor prevalence for cancer and heart disease between Hispanics and whites were much different.  Hispanics were only about half as likely to smoke cigarettes as whites but about one quarter more likely to be obese. Hispanics were less likely to have high blood pressure, but if they do have it, they are also less likely to have it under control.
• Hispanics are not all alike. Their behavioral risk factors are influenced by their country of birth and cultural heritage.  Compared with Mexicans, Puerto Ricans had nearly twice the number of people living with cancer or heart disease.  Risk factor prevalence was higher and health outcomes worse in U.S.-born Hispanics compared with foreign-born Hispanics.

Prevention:

• Engage community health workers (promotores de salud) to teach people and link them to free or low-cost services.
• Work with interpreters to eliminate any language barriers.
• Counsel patients on weight control and diet.
• Ask patients if they smoke and if they do, help them quit.

May: National Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Month

• Booklet: Let's Talk About Skin Cancer/ Hablemos del Cáncer de la Piel, National Alliance for Hispanic Health.
• Skin Cancer FAQs and latest research: English; Español (Spanish), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• What is cancer- melanoma? : English; Español (Spanish), American Cancer Society.
• Skin Cancer Information and Prevention: English; Español (Spanish), The Skin Cancer Foundation.
• Downloadable Infographics:

                          - Protect Yourself from Skin Cancer, National Alliance for Hispanic Health- Buena Salud Club.
                          - ¡Protéjase del cáncer de la piel! , National Alliance for Hispanic Health- Buena Salud Club.
                          - Who Needs Sunscreen? Everybody! , National Alliance for Hispanic Health- Buena Salud Club.
                          - ¿Quienes necesitan bloqueador solar? ¡Todos! , National Alliance for Hispanic Health- Buena Salud Club.                                                          - The Truth About Tanning, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
                          - The Mini: Skin Cancer Prevention Handbook, The Skin Cancer Foundation.
                          - Badges: A Base Tan is Not a Safe Tan, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
                          - Be a Hero: Save your Skin, Skinfo. 

June: National Cancer Survivors Day

• Network Collaborative on National Cancer Survivors Day
• The Official Website of National Cancer Survivors Day. 
• Cancer Survivorship, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
• Be a Healthier Cancer Survivor, American Cancer Society. 
• Infographic: Life After Cancer, American Cancer Society. 
• Video: Survivorship Videos, American Cancer Society. 
• Video: Using Electronic Health Records, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.

June: Cataract Awareness Month

• How Smoking Harms Your Vision, All About Vision. 
• Cataract Awareness Month, Prevent Blindness.
• Vision Loss, Blindness, and Smoking, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

June: Men's Health Month

• Top 10 Cancers Among Men, University of Rochester Medical Center. 
• Cancer ranked in leading cause of death by age group, race/ethnicity for Males, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Minority Men's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 
• Helping Men Live Safer and Healthier Lives, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Men's Health Network
• National Health Homes Month, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  

September: Healthy Aging Month

• Clear Horizons: A Quit Smoking Guide for People 50 and Older, National Cancer Institute
• Quitting Smoking for Older Adults, National Institutes of Health
  
• Video: Why Quit Smoking When You’re Older?, National Institutes of Health