Now in its seventh year down under, December is Decembeard for Bowel Cancer Australia.

A hair–raising fundraiser held during the month of December (1-31 December), Decembeard encourages men to grow a beard or some chin stubble in the final month of the year to raise awareness and much needed funds for bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) is the third most common type of newly diagnosed cancer in Australia.

15,253 Australians are told they have bowel cancer each year, including 2,186 people under the age of 55.

Australia is the leading national charity dedicated to prevention, early diagnosis, research, quality treatment and the best care for everyone affected by bowel cancer.

You can get involved by

• Volunteering
• Fundraising
• Participating in organised events

For more information, please visit:
https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/decembeard

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year. It raises awareness across the world and in the community about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. It is a day for people to show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.

“HIV continues to pose serious challenges around the globe.”

HIV still exists in Australia. There were 833 new HIV diagnoses in Australia in 2018.

HIV can affect anyone. There is no vaccine or cure for HIV, however there is highly effective treatment. People living with HIV take medications on a daily basis to maintain their HIV at an undetectable level and to keep themselves healthy. Today, HIV is considered a chronic but manageable condition, and people living with HIV can lead long and healthy lives, with a similar life expectancy to a person who does not have HIV.

Like other conditions, HIV can be prevented. By being informed about what HIV is and how it can be transmitted, we can take measures to look after ourselves and others.

So take the first step-inform yourself about HIV.

To get involved this December:

• Donate to the foundation
• Volunteer
• Raise awareness on social media

For more information, visit: 
http://www.worldaidsday.org.au/internet/wad/publishing.nsf/Content/Home

Miracle Babies Foundation is Australia’s leading organisation supporting premature and sick newborns, their families and the hospitals that care for them.

For families, the experience of having a baby come into the world not as expected or planned is life changing. Every year in Australia around 48,000 newborn babies require the help of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Nursery (SCN). 27,000 of these babies are born premature and up to 1,000 babies lose their fight for life.

Since 2005, Miracle Babies Foundation has been passionate in developing and providing vital programs and resources to support and enhance a family’s experience from a threatened pregnancy, hospital journey with a premature or sick newborn, the transition to home and beyond.

You can contribute by

• volunteering
• fund raising
• getting involved in their events

To find out more, please visit https://www.miraclebabies.org.au

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is increasing the problem of antibiotic resistance. We are all part of the problem and the solution. Antibiotic resistance is impacting us now – we all have a role to play.

Did you know…?

• Australia has one of the highest rates of antibiotic use in the world. We’re ranked 8th among 29 countries evaluated by the OECD.
• Just because symptoms last a long time, doesn’t mean children need antibiotics. Most children get better in about 2 weeks.
• Regular hand washing (using soap and running water) keeps your hands clean and can help stop the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Things you can do

• Take the prescribed dose and complete the whole course of treatment prescribed by your doctor.
• Don’t share antibiotics with another person.
• Don’t keep leftovers.

You can also take the pledge and join the 50,000+ Australians who have promised to preserve the power of antibiotics.

For more information please visit:
https://www.nps.org.au/medical-info/clinical-topics/reducing-antibiotic-resistance

With two in three Australians diagnosed with skin cancer by age 70, the action week is an important reminder of the risks of exposure to UV radiation, the need for sun protection and early skin cancer detection for all Australians.

Did you know:

• More than 2,000 people in Australia die from skin cancer each year
• Cancer Council estimates that Australia spends more than $1 billion per year treating skin cancer
• Most skin cancers can be prevented by the use of good sun protection, yet too many Australians still have a tan.
• Despite many Australians referring to a “healthy tan”, a tan is not a sign of good health or well being. In fact, tanning is a sign that you have been exposed to enough UV radiation to damage your skin. This will eventually cause premature aging – including sun spots, wrinkles and sagging. Worst of all it increases your risk of skin cancer.

Make the pledge today to protect yourself from UV radiation and abstain from tanning.

During National Skin Cancer Action Week and throughout summer, use the five forms of sun protection by:

• slip on sun-protective clothing
• slop on SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen
• slap on a broad-brimmed hat
• seek shade
• slide on sunglasses.

A combination of these measures, along with getting to know your skin and regularly checking for any changes, are the keys to reducing your skin cancer risk.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/sun-protection/campaigns-and-events/national-skin-cancer-action-week.html

Pneumonia is caused by an infection of the lung. Most infections are either due to bacteria or viruses, although often a cause is never found. This is a dangerous disease which can have severe effects on any individual who contracts it. World Pneumonia Day brings people from all over the world together, uniting to demand that something be done to fight the pneumonia illness. It helps to highlight the severity of pneumonia and encourages more organisations to look at ways of combating the disease.

Pneumonia is one of the most solvable problems in global health and yet a child dies from the infection every 20 seconds.

To get involved:

• Organise you own fundraiser
• Donate to the foundation
• Volunteer
• Raise awareness on social media

For more information:
https://stoppneumonia.org/latest/world-pneumonia-day/

World NET Cancer Day is celebrated on the 10th of November. The aim of World NET Cancer Day is to raise awareness of NET cancers among decision makers, health professionals and the general public. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is the umbrella term for a group of unusual cancers which develop from cells in the diffuse endocrine system. NETs can affect people of any age, and can be slow-growing or very aggressive.

“NET is considered a rare cancer, but incidence has increased in Australia over the past few decades. Analysis has shown that annual NET incidence per 100,000 has increased from 1.7 in 1980-1989 to 3.3 in 2000-2006 (that is, three people per 100,000).”

Get involved by:

• Joining a support group
• Donating to the foundation
• Volunteering
• Raising awareness on social media
• Organising a fundraiser

For more  information: 
https://www.carcinoid.org/event/worldwide-net-cancer-awareness-day-2019/

Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Week is held on 10-16 November in 2019!

Let’s get real. Perinatal anxiety and depression is serious.

There’s a lot of baggage around mental health, and the mental health of expecting and new parents is no exception.

Too many people are still afraid to talk about perinatal anxiety and depression. Too many people don’t know the signs and symptoms, or where to seek help if they’re struggling. Too many people are afraid to reveal what they’re feeling or delay seeking help because of fear of being seen as bad parents.

We want expecting and new parents and their families to feel they can be open and honest about their feelings. As a community, we need to ‘get real’ about perinatal anxiety and depression.

This is what PANDA Week 2019 is all about!

Here’s how you can help:

• Encourage open and honest conversations about the mental health of expecting and new parents in your community or workplace.
• Host a PANDA Day event. Raise awareness about perinatal anxiety and depression and postnatal psychosis, and raise funds for PANDA along the way!
• Raise awareness on social media.

Together, we can make a difference by ‘getting real’ about perinatal mental illness this November.

The Movember Foundation is the leading global health organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health, stopping men dying too young. The state of men’s health is in crisis. Men experience worse longer-term health than women and die on average six years earlier.

Three quarters of suicides are by men. Poor mental health leads to half a million men taking their own life every year. That’s one every minute.

Be a part of groundbreaking change and support ‘The Movember Foundation’ to address the crisis at a global level.

To get involved:

• Donate to the foundation
• Grow a moustache to show your support
• Organise a fundraiser
• Raise awareness on social media

For more information: https://au.movember.com/

Blue Knot Day is Blue Knot Foundation’s national awareness day celebrated in October every year. On this day, all Australians are asked to unite in support of the 5 million Australian adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse.

The tangled knot in the Blue Knot Day logo symbolizes the complexity of childhood trauma, with blue representing the colour of the sky and a clear blue sky providing the space for new possibilities.

Our 10th annual national Blue Knot Day, a day on which Blue Knot Foundation asks all Australians to unite in support of adult survivors of complex trauma is fast approaching. This year, to help raise awareness around the foundation and embody the theme “Untangle the Knot of Complex Trauma”.

‘1 in 4 Australians are living with Childhood Trauma at this current moment’

Get involved this October by:

• By holding an event in your workplace or community
• Sharing through social media
• Purchasing Blue Knot Foundation merchandise
• Make a donation

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