October National Health Observances: Health Literacy, Breast Cancer, and Health Care Quality!
Posted on September 27, 2021 by ODPHP
Each month we feature select National Health Observances (NHOs) that align with our mission to improve health across the United States. In October we’re raising awareness about health literacy, breast cancer, and health care quality.

To make it easy for you to help spread the word, we’ve pulled together some resources you can use to promote these NHOs. We hope you’ll help us advocate for better health!

- Health Literacy Month
The Institute of Healthcare Advancement sponsors Health Literacy Month in October to integrate and expand the mission of health literacy. Check out our health literacy resources for health professionals to find strategies for sharing health information in ways that everyone can understand and use. And be sure to share our MyHealthfinder tool to connect people with easy-to-understand information based on health literacy best practices. You can also take a look at our custom Healthy People 2030 health literacy objective list to learn about efforts to improve health literacy on the national level.
- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

- Every year the American Cancer Society and many other organizations dedicate the month of October to raising awareness about breast cancer. Share our consumer-friendly MyHealthfinder resources to encourage people to get tested for breast cancer and talk with the doctor about mammograms. Finally, be sure check out the Healthy People 2030 Cancer objectives to learn about national efforts to reduce new cases of cancer.
- Healthcare Quality Week

The National Association for Healthcare Quality is sponsoring Healthcare Quality Week starting October 17 to celebrate progress toward improving patient outcomes and quality of care. At ODPHP, we’re committed to improving health care quality — take a look at our information and trainings. You can also check out the Healthy People 2030 objectives related to health care and health care-associated infections. Finally, share our MyHealthfinder resource to help people in your community learn how to prevent infections when getting medical care.
We hope you’ll use our resources to promote these important NHOs on your channels. Together, we can work toward a healthier nation!