World No Tobacco Day - 31 May
For World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2016, WHO is calling on countries to get ready for plain (standardized) packaging of tobacco products. Plain packaging of tobacco products is an important demand reduction measure. It reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products, restricts use of tobacco packaging as a form of advertising, limits misleading packaging and labelling, and increases the effectiveness of health warnings.
World Blood Donor Day - 14 June
The theme of this year's World Blood Donor Day is "Blood connects us all". It focuses on thanking blood donors and highlights the dimension of "sharing" and "connection" between blood donors and patients. The campaign highlights stories of people whose lives have been saved through blood donation, to motivate regular blood donors to continue giving blood, and motivate people in good health who have never given blood to begin doing so, particularly young people.
Mark these days for health in your calendar
Global public health days offer great potential to raise awareness and understanding about health issues and mobilize support for action, from the local community to the international stage. There are many world days observed throughout the year related to specific health issues or conditions – from Alzheimer's to zoonoses.
However, WHO focuses particular attention on the 7 days and 1 week that WHO Member States have mandated as "official" global public health days. These are:
- World TB Day, 24 March
- World Health Day, 7 April
- World Immunization Week, last week of April
- World Malaria Day, 25 April
- World No Tobacco Day, 31 May
- World Blood Donor Day, 14 June
- World Hepatitis Day, 28 July
- World AIDS Day, 1 December
Join in for better health
Whether you are taking the kids to be vaccinated, talking to students on the devastating health effects of tobacco, organizing a mobile blood collection in your community, or contributing to the online conversation through social media, you can play a part in these worldwide efforts to create a healthier world.
Leading up to each day, this is where you will find background information, graphics, multi-media links, facts and figures that help highlight the issues and focus global attention on today’s major public health challenges.
If you have comments or questions, please write to: mediainquiries@who.int