Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month in November featured inspiring stories of hope and important educational messages, all of which could not be possible without the participation of everyone in the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community. PH Awareness Month served as an opportunity to raise awareness about pulmonary hypertension risk factors and symptoms and to rally the community of individuals with PH, caregivers, medical experts and other stakeholders. Here are some of the many highlights from PH Awareness Month in 2019:

  • The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PH) celebrated PH Awareness Month with a theme focused on “PHaces of Hope,” which featured empowering and inspiring stories from a community of individuals with PH, their caregivers and health care professionals. These stories were featured all month at PHAssociation.org/PHaces. More than 60 people shared their stories of hope with PHA in November, so many that PHA will continue to share these stories throughout December. Thank you to all who contributed stories!
  • PHA featured an education and outreach campaign that included a Facebook Live Expert Q & A chat with Peter Hountras, M.D. about chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) as well as a “My Life with CTEPH” chat. These events were part of CTEPH Awareness Day on Nov. 13. PHA also added two new educational videos in PHA Classroom, one that offers an overview of CTEPH and the other that focuses on CTEPH treatments.
  • PHA featured its “PHaces of Hope” campaign on its social media platforms, drawing a tremendous response. For the month, PHA’s Facebook page had 2.8 million impressions and more than 45,000 engagements, while PHA’s Instagram page had more than 1.8 million impressions and 2,500 engagements. On PHA’s Twitter page, there were more than 58,000 impressions and 1,044 engagements.
  • PHA’s online resources, including flyers, social media graphics and messaging and ways to advocate and fundraise that could be downloaded from the PHA website, were accessed by 14,185 users.
  • PHA mailed Awareness Month kits – targeting new audiences who may experience PH symptoms – to 76 Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCCs) and 275 support group leaders and PHA PHriends across the country. The kits included posters and flyers on PH Awareness Month and CTEPH Awareness Day, PH Fact Sheets, CTEPH diagnosis flyers, and PH and CTEPH brochures for newly diagnosed individuals.
  • PH Awareness Month was recognized in the U.S Congress by Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD). In his remarks before Congress, Congressman Brady said, “I rise today in recognition of…Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month…the work of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association is so important. Their efforts to increase awareness and research across federal agencies are making a huge difference in lives across the Nation.” Congressman Raskin added, “I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and to continue supporting federal activities that improve the lives of patients impacted by PH including research programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

PHA thanks all who helped make Awareness Month a success! PHA is grateful for the sponsorship support of Actelion Pharmaceuticals, U.S., Inc. for PH Awareness Month and of Bayer for CTEPH Awareness Day.

A popular awareness Facebook post.