Events

World Heart Day

In May 2012, world leaders committed to reducing global mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is accountable for nearly half of all NCD deaths; making it the world’s number one killer. World Heart Day is, therefore, the perfect platform for the CVD community to unite in the fight against CVD and reduce the global disease burden.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The international Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries each October, to raise awareness about the disease. Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors resulting from abnormal growth of breast cells. It is by far the most common cancer among women of different ages. The breast cancer awareness campaigns and research funding have enhanced the speed of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, survival rates have improved, and death toll has decreased; due to early breast screening and new therapies.

International Day of Older Persons

The older persons have various contributions to the community, through their volunteer activities and knowledge transfer to other generation, based on their accumulated experiences in life. The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the joys and challenges of aging in today’s world. In 2012, the number of people aged 60+ exceeded 600 million. By 2062, their number is expected to be 2 billion.

World Food Day

Food safety and Nutrition are inextricably linked, particularly in places where food supplies are insecure. When food becomes scarce, hygiene, safety and nutrition are often ignored as people shift to less nutritious diets and consume more 'unsafe foods' — in which chemical, microbiological, zoonotic and other hazards pose a health risk.

AHO works to promote the availability of safe, healthy and wholesome food for everyone to improve food and nutrition security. AHO strongly promotes the integration of food safety into nutrition and food security programmes.

Africa Polio Week

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis.

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Every year the lives of approximately 1.35 million people are cut short as a result of a road traffic crash. Between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury.

Road traffic injuries cause considerable economic losses to individuals, their families, and to nations as a whole. These losses arise from the cost of treatment as well as lost productivity for those killed or disabled by their injuries, and for family members who need to take time off work or school to care for the injured. Road traffic crashes cost most countries 3% of their gross domestic product.

World Antibiotic Awareness Week

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

Antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics). Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.

As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.

International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." (United Nations. Declaration on the elimination of violence against women. New York : UN, 1993.)

Africa AIDS Week

Africa AIDS Week is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease in Africa. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around Africa observe the week, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day, designated on December 1 every year since 1988, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.