PHA Prepares to Kick Off Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month in November

November has been designated Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, and the organization is already planning on initiatives throughout the month and beyond to help support research, fundraising, advocacy, and awareness about pulmonary hypertension (PH).

PH Awareness Month, which will be hosted by the association, will include activities designed to reach the communities and people affected by the disease, including national and local events. The PHA is inviting patients and their families to share their stories, as well as participate in the events and activities. The first national event, Color the World Periwinkle Day, which Pulmonary Hypertension News covered yesterday, will take place on the first day of the month. On November 13th, the PHA will host the National PH Advocacy Day and Congressional Luncheon, and on the 18th, CTEPH Awareness Day.

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The association acknowledges the importance of the PH community in advancing research and raising awareness about the disease. “Our mantra is that any person whose life is touched by PH has the right to fight back as much or as little as much as health and interest will allow. Our job at PHA is to make that possible,” stated the president and CEO of PHA, Rino Aldrighetti. “We are the torch bearers to light the way to a better tomorrow for every person affected by this disease.”

The activities being prepared for the month of November are in line with the association’s mission of finding a cure for pulmonary hypertension, as well as preventing it. The leading PH organization in the country works in collaboration with its community of patients, caregivers, and medical professionals, providing more than 245 support groups throughout the country and education through its PHA Online University.

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The PHA is associated with more than 10,000 treating physicians, steadily growing its footprint in the PH community since the start of the Association in 1996, when the number of PH treating physicians in the U.S. was not higher than 100. The organization is dedicated to supporting caregivers’ education, as well as treatment options for those with the disease, as there are currently 12 FDA-approved therapies for PH. While in 1996 there was only one treatment, pulmonary hypertension is now one of just three of the 7,000 identified rare diseases with several FDA-approved therapies. Three of the approved PH drugs were approved over the last year, and there are currently several active research projects to improve patients’ lives through next-generation therapies as well.

The association is engaged in other campaigns throughout the year to raise awareness about the disease, including public service announcements on TV and radio stations nationwide and in the taxicabs of New York City, as well their website, PHAware.org, and activity on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.