On this page
- The six days at a glance
- World Health Day — 7 April
- World Immunization Week — last week of April
- World Food Safety Day — 7 June
- World Mental Health Day — 10 October
- Global Handwashing Day — 15 October
- International Day of Epidemic Preparedness — 27 December
- Days in the calendar that are not in this guide
- Frequently asked questions
Key points
- Six global health days are covered here: World Health Day (7 April), World Immunization Week (last week of April), World Food Safety Day (7 June), World Mental Health Day (10 October), Global Handwashing Day (15 October) and the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness (27 December).
- Awareness days mark a cause on a fixed date. They do not rank causes or measure progress.
- The full calendar, with dates and official links only, is the Health Awareness Days Calendar tool.
Direct answer: Global health awareness days are fixed dates in the year when a health cause is marked worldwide — a day for health itself, for mental health, for immunisation, for handwashing, for food safety, and for epidemic preparedness. Each day has a date, an organiser and a purpose. This guide covers six of them: what each day marks, when it falls, and who runs it. The full calendar, with dates and official links only, is the Health Awareness Days Calendar tool.
The six days at a glance
| Day | Date | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| World Health Day | 7 April | The founding of WHO in 1948; each year draws attention to a specific global health topic |
| World Immunization Week | Last week of April (24–30 April) | Immunisation as a way to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable disease |
| World Food Safety Day | 7 June | Food safety and the prevention of foodborne illness |
| World Mental Health Day | 10 October | Mental health awareness and support |
| Global Handwashing Day | 15 October | Handwashing with soap as a way to prevent disease |
| International Day of Epidemic Preparedness | 27 December | Prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics |
World Health Day — 7 April
World Health Day is observed every year on 7 April, the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization in 1948. Each year WHO gives the day a theme that draws attention to a specific global health topic. It is on the United Nations list of observances as “World Health Day [WHO]”.
World Immunization Week — last week of April
World Immunization Week falls in the last week of April each year — 24 to 30 April on the United Nations list. The exact dates shift slightly by year, so the safe wording is “the last week of April” rather than fixed dates. The week marks immunisation across the life course: the vaccines that protect children, adolescents and adults from preventable disease.
World Food Safety Day — 7 June
World Food Safety Day is observed every year on 7 June, established by UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/73/250. It draws attention to food safety and the prevention of foodborne illness — a cause the WHO’s 2026 foodborne disease estimates put in stark terms, with more than 866 million cases and 1.52 million deaths in 2021.
World Mental Health Day — 10 October
World Mental Health Day is observed every year on 10 October, run by WHO with the World Federation for Mental Health. It was first observed in 1992. The day raises awareness of mental health and mobilises support for mental health — the same cause the site’s mental-health guides cover in plain language.
Global Handwashing Day — 15 October
Global Handwashing Day is observed every year on 15 October. It was first held on 15 October 2008, founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership to promote handwashing with soap as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent disease. It is distinct from WHO’s World Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May, which focuses particularly on hand hygiene in healthcare settings.
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness — 27 December
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed every year on 27 December. The UN General Assembly proclaimed the date in resolution A/RES/75/27 (2020), inviting member states to observe it through education and awareness-raising, “in order to highlight the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics”. The resolution was adopted in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the text cites as the example of what unpreparedness costs.
Days in the calendar that are not in this guide
The calendar holds more days than this guide covers. World Hand Hygiene Day (5 May) and World AIDS Day (1 December) are among them. They are listed with dates and official links only in the Health Awareness Days Calendar tool — this guide does not duplicate its table.
Frequently asked questions
Are these awareness days official?
Most are: World Health Day, World Food Safety Day and the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness are on the United Nations list of observances. Global Handwashing Day was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership, not by a UN resolution.
When is World Immunization Week?
The last week of April each year — 24 to 30 April on the United Nations list. The exact dates shift slightly by year, so the page says 'last week of April' rather than fixed dates.
Do awareness days change anything?
A day marks a cause; it does not measure progress. What changes is what governments, organisations and communities do around the date — campaigns, funding announcements and services.