Every year on December 1, the world commemorates World AIDS Day to show support to people diagnosed, infected and living with HIV; and remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day founded in 1988. (1) (2) It is celebrated to show solidarity with the millions of...Continue Reading
November 17 every year is observed as National Epilepsy Day to create awareness among people about epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic disorder in which the nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing ‘fits’ or ‘seizures’; or periods of unusual behaviour, sensations and sometimes loss of awareness. [1] According to the World Health Organisation...Continue Reading
The deadly nature of Diabetes is known to one and all! It affects over 422 million people worldwide every year and is the leading cause of 1.5 million deaths annually. World Diabetes Day was first observed in 1991. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) conceptualized this day in response to...Continue Reading
Phytosterols, commonly referred to as the “heart healthy” cholesterol are essentially plant sterols and stanol esters that are commonly found in the cell membrane of plant cells. They are very similar in structure to the cholesterol molecules in the human body and found in ample amounts in food like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Often...Continue Reading
World Arthritis Day (WAD) is observed every year on 12th October (since 1996) and it endeavours to unify people to raise awareness regarding rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). An initiative of the Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARi), this day is dedicated to help the world understand the impact of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases as well...Continue Reading
Mental Health: A growing global concern World Mental Health Day is observed on the 10th day of October every year, with the intent to cut the stigma and encourage more dialogue on mental illnesses. The World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH) officially established the day to promote self-awareness and sensitivity towards the cause, to encourage...Continue Reading
World Heart Day endeavours to bring people together to take action against cardiovascular disease (CVD). A brainchild of the World Heart Federation, it brings awareness about CVD to people across the world. It also seeks to drive global action against heart diseases and their significant risk factors. Risk factors include unhealthy lifestyle decisions, unhealthy diets...Continue Reading
‘National Nutrition Week’ was first marked by the ‘American Dietetic Association’ in 1975. The ‘Central Government of India’ adopted the initiative and launched a campaign in 1982, to educate people about the importance of nutritious food and encourage them to develop a healthy lifestyle. (1) Every year, from the 1st – 7th September, this weeklong...Continue Reading
The month of August, every year, is observed as the ‘National Immunization Awareness Month’ or NIAM. This is to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. While the world’s attention is focused on developing new vaccines to fight COVID-19, it is also necessary to ensure that routine immunizations are not neglected. During...Continue Reading
Promoting Awareness on Causes and Treatment Lung cancer is the world’s foremost cause of cancer-related fatalities, with more deaths each year than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. According to the World Health Organization data, it accounts for roughly 2.09 million fatalities each year on average (WHO). Even though new research and experiments continue to...Continue Reading
