Looking for specific health information or ways to get involved? We’ve got all the major health events covered in our calendar.
October
| Date | Event | About this event |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October | World Vegetarian Day | World Vegetarian Day, October 1, kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month, helping make a difference by teaching others about the positives of vegetarianism. |
| 1-31 October | Breast Cancer Awareness Month | Australia's Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides people with the chance to focus on breast cancer and its impact. Share stories, speak to family and get important information out to family, friends and colleagues. |
| 1-31 October | Great Cycle Challenge Australia | Great Cycle Challenge encourages people of all ages and fitness levels to get on their bikes and ride to fight kids' cancer. |
| 1-31 October | Lupus Awareness Month | Lupus Awareness Month highlights the need for more awareness and financial support for Lupus, which is a potentially fatal disease affecting nearly 6 million people across the world. |
| 1-31 October | Ocsober | Ocsober is a fundraising initiative that encourages people to give up alcohol for the whole of October. |
| 1-31 October | National Safe Work Australia Month | |
| 1-31 October | Mental Health Month | |
| 1-31 October | Walktober | |
| 1-31 October | Shoctober | |
| 1-31 October | Polio Awareness Month | |
| 1-31 October | Dyslexia Awareness Month | Dyslexia Awareness Month raises awareness and helps teach people more about Dyslexia with events like Light it Red for Dyslexia. |
| 1-7 October | Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Week | |
| 2 October | World Smile Day | |
| 2 October | Walk to Work Day | |
| 4-11 October | National Amputee Awareness Week | The week raises awareness of amputees and people living with congenital limb differences throughout Australia. |
| 4 October | Odd Socks Day | Odd socks day is a light-hearted way to remind people that we can all have an odd day. The day attempts to tackle stigma around mental illness. |
| 5-11 October | Mental Health Week | Mental Health Week is an annual national awareness event held in October every year. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community, to increase community awareness and education about mental health issues and to encourage participation in life-enhancing lifestyles |
| 8 October | World Sight Day | World Sight Day raises public awareness on blindness and low vision, providing an opportunity to educate people more about the causes of blindness and preventative measures. |
| 10 October | World Mental Health Day | World Mental Health Day raises public awareness of mental health issues and promotes greater understanding of its effect on individuals and the wider community. |
| 11 October | Headspace Day | #headspaceday is about ensuring young people have access to mental health services no matter where they live in Australia. |
| 11-17 October | Carers Week | |
| 11-17 October | Bleeding Disorders Awareness Week | This week awareness about inherited bleeding disorders such as haemophilia and von Willebrand disease. |
| 12 October | World Arthritis Day | International Arthritis Day brings arthritis sufferers together and gives them a voice to be heard. |
| 12-18 October | Foot Health Week | |
| 15 October | Wellness Walk & Festival | The walk raises awareness for mental illness and promotes the importance of community and togetherness by bringing people together from all backgrounds. |
| 15 October | Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day | International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day occurs every October. Parents and families across Australia have the opportunity to honour their babies who passed away from stillbirth, miscarriage or postnatal causes. |
| 15 October | Global Handwashing Day | |
| 15-21 October | National Nutrition Week | National Nutrition Week encourages Australians to make healthy food and lifestyle choices. |
| 18 October | Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day | Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day promotes greater awareness for DLD, which affects how a person thinks about, understands and uses language. A person with DLD is at high risk of incarceration and suicide. This important day looks at educating the public more about the condition. |
| 18-24 October | Sock it to Suicide Week | |
| 20 October | World Osteoporosis Day | World Osteoporosis Day takes place every year on October 20, and involves lots of campaigns by national osteoporosis patient societies from around the world. |
| 20-26 October | National Week of Deaf People (NWDP) | Deaf Australia organises events through a week long period in October, which focuses on celebrating the Deaf community in Australia. |
| 21 October | Ride to Work Day | |
| 24 October | World Polio Day | World Polio Day highlights the importance of the global eradication of polio. |
| 26 October | Pink Ribbon Day |