Mental health is about what is going well. It is an individual's state of well-being and their capacity to thus realise their potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and contribute to community. World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues and mobilise efforts in support […]
Mental Health Week in Australia is in early October, beginning with World Mental Health Day on the 10th October. Observed across Australia, each state and territory adopts its own theme and holds their own event. This year will have a clear focus on safeguarding the social determinants of mental health during and after the COVID-19 […]
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), from 2000 to 2019, there were 7,348 major recorded disaster events claiming 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people and resulting in approximately US$2.97 trillion in global economic losses. International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and […]
Tsunamis are giant ocean waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. As the waves travel inland (sometimes at the speed of a jet plane), they get higher and higher as the depth of the ocean decreases. Though rare, tsunamis can be extremely deadly. The Indian Ocean tsunami (December 2004), for example, caused […]
Damage to the environment through war includes the pollution of water wells, the torching of crops, deforestation, soil poisoning and the killing of animals. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources ( […]
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when blood glucose (blood sugar) is too high. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get from the blood into cells to be used for energy. In diabetes, the body does not make enough—or any—insulin or doe not use insulin well. Glucose then stays in […]
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is to remember the millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads, and to acknowledge the cumulative toll on and suffering of all affected victims, families and communities. Tribute is paid also to the dedicated emergency crews, police and medical professionals who deal […]
1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner. Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care. 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 […]
World Aids Day is to fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus. With appropriate medication that stops the […]
International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is to observe and respect the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, to honour the lives of […]