1. Attached is a calendar of special health promotion months, weeks and days compiled by the Health Promotion Unit of the Metro District Health Services. A condensed version of this calendar is provided below:
2. Schools are encouraged to select and prioritise some of these important health awareness and promotion initiatives, and to plan related learning activities for inclusion in the learning programmes of Life Orientation, Natural Sciences or Arts and Culture learning areas, and/or in extra-curricular community-based activities.
3. 
29 January       World Leprosy Day
February         Diarrhoeal Disease Focus Month
4 February       International Cancer Day
12-26 February 	 Pregnancy Education Week
20-24 February 	 Teen Suicide Prevention Week
March            Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month	
13-19 March    	 Brain Awareness Week
24 March         World Tuberculosis Day
2-8 April      	 Polio Eradication Awareness Week
7 April          World Health Day 	         
17 April         World Haemophilia Day
May              Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
                 Anti-Tobacco Month
2 May            World Asthma Day				
31 May           World No-Tobacco Day
30 May-4 June  	 Child Protection Week
June             Child Protection Month       
1 June           International Children’s Day
19-25 June     	 National Epilepsy Week
26 June          International Drug Awareness Day
26 June–1 July 	 Substance Abuse Awareness Week
July             Psychiatric Disability (Mental Illness)
                  Awareness Month
August           Oral Health Month
6-12 August    	 National Immunisation Awareness Week
21-25 August   	 Health Promotion Schools' Week       
28 August-3 Sept Cerebral Palsy Awareness Week
September        Heart Awareness Month
                 School AIDS month
1 September      Casual Day (for the Physically Disabled)
4-10 September   Deaf Awareness Week
9 September      International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day
24–30 September  International Retina Week
24 September     World Heart Day
October          Mental Health Awareness Month
9-15 October     National Nutrition Week
16 October       World Food Day
9–13 October     Eye-care Awareness Week
16-22 October    Obesity Week
16-21 October    Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week
14 November      World Diabetes Day
19 November      World Day for the Prevention of Child
                  Abuse and Neglect
1 December       World Aids Day
3 December       International Day for Persons with
                  Disabilities
4. Please bring these dates to the attention of all educators and learners.


SIGNED: MJ THERON
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2006:01:11

Calendar of Special Health Promotion months  (size: 86 KB)