Each year World TB Day is commemorated on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.TB most commonly affects a person’s lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body and can cause serious illness.

Get involved this March by:

• Educating friends and family about World TB Day
• Raising awareness on social media
• Learning more about tuberculosis

For more information, visit: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-tb-day

World Water Day focuses on the importance of freshwater – celebrating water and raising awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. World Water Day is an opportunity to promote action to tackle the global water crisis, with a core focus on supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Get involved with World Water Day by:

• Educating friends and family about World Water Day
• Spreading awareness on social media
• Learning about the different ways to use water sustainably

For more information, visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day

National Advance Care Planning Week encourages all Australians, regardless of their age or health status, to make their future health care preferences known. Advance care planning gives individuals a voice in their health care, no matter what the future brings. It is an ongoing process which involves discussing a person’s values, beliefs and preferences so they can guide decision making when the person cannot make or communicate their decisions.

The initiative has been successful in starting tough but important conversations. It is an important opportunity for people to discuss what living well means to them and to consider who they would want to speak for them, if they were too sick to speak for themselves.

Get involved with National Advance Care Planning Week by:

• Organising or hosting an event
• Starting a conversation about advance care planning
• Spreading awareness and educating others

For more information, visit: http://www.advancecareplanning.org.au/acpweek/about/about-advance-care-planning-week

Salt Awareness Week aims to increase knowledge about salt’s impact on health. The theme for 2022 is: Shake the Habit! designed to focus on the food industry and encourage them to reduce the amount of salt added to food products.

The UK introduced a salt reduction model which has in turn inspired the world to also adopt salt reduction policy and strategies. More than 90 countries now have some form of salt reduction policy in place.

For more information, visit: https://www.worldactiononsalt.com/awarenessweek/

Coeliac Awareness Week aims to spread awareness about coeliac disease, especially to reach undiagnosed Australians and help them identify the symptoms and take steps towards diagnosis and treatment.

Coeliac disease affects on average approximately 1 in 70 Australians. However, around 80% of this number remain undiagnosed.

In people with coeliac disease, the immune system reacts abnormally to gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats), causing small bowel damage. Coeliac disease can develop at any age and affects both men and women.

Get involved Coeliac Awareness Week by:

• Reading online resources and learning more about coeliac disease
• Spreading awareness on social media
• Organising a fundraiser
• Making a donation

For more information, visit: https://www.coeliac.org.au/s/coeliac-disease/coeliac-awareness-week

World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys. The primary role of your kidneys is to remove waste and excess water from your blood. Kidneys also help to control blood pressure, produce red blood cells and keep bones healthy.

The theme for 2022 is: Kidney Health for All – Bridge the gap to better kidney care with a focus on a persistent and ongoing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) knowledge gap.

Get involved with World Kidney Day by:

• Raising awareness of World Kidney Day
• Learning about your kidneys and lifestyle habits to help promote kidney health
• Educating friends and family about the importance of kidney health

For more information, visit: https://www.worldkidneyday.org/about/world-kidney-day/ and https://www.worldkidneyday.org/2022-campaign/2022-wkd-theme/

Clean Up Australia Day provides an opportunity to inspire communities and encourage combined action to clean up, fix up and conserve the environment. This event aims to encourage all Australians to take to their local park, beach, bushland or streets and help collect rubbish.

Over a million Aussies step up to clean up every year, donating their time to improve the environment.

Get involved with Clean Up Australia Day by:

• Organising your own clean up event
• Making a donation
• Volunteering your time
• Spreading awareness of Clean Up Australia Day

For more information, visit: https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/

World Hearing Day raises awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss, and to promote ear and hearing care across the world. Globally more than 1.5 billion people experience some degree of hearing loss and if unaddressed, hearing loss can negatively impact many aspects of life

The theme for 2022 is: To hear for life, listen with care! with a focus on the importance and means of hearing loss prevention through safe listening, with the following key messages:

• It is possible to have good hearing across the life course through ear and hearing care​
• Many common causes of hearing loss can be prevented, such as loss caused by exposure to loud sounds​
• ‘Safe listening’ can mitigate the risk of hearing loss associated with recreational sound exposure​

Get involved with World Hearing Day by:

• Speading awareness about hearing loss
• Hosting an event or organising a fundraiser
• Spreading awareness about World Hearing Day on social media

For more information, visit: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day/2022 and https://www.deafnessforum.org.au/world-hearing-day/

March into Yellow is a campaign designed to raise awareness for women with endometriosis. Endometriosis is a common disease in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the body. Wear yellow in March to demonstrate support for those living with endometriosis and as an opportunity to start conversations about March into Yellow.

Over 830,000 Australians have endometriosis and diagnosis can take up to 6.5 years.

Get involved with March into Yellow by:

• Spreading awareness on social media using #MarchintoYellow #endoaustralia
• Educating family and friends of the cause
• Making a donation to Endometriosis Australia
• Volunteering with an Endometriosis Australia event

For more information, visit: https://www.marchintoyellow.org.au/