Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
August was Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Awareness Month. SMA is disease that robs people of physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, and impacting their ability to walk, eat and breathe. SMA impacts approximately four people in every 100,000 throughout the U.S. One in 50 people carry the disease, and one out of every 6,000 to 10,000 people develop it.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was observed worldwide on August 9. It marks the contributions and achievements of indigenous people who hold a vast diversity of unique cultures, traditions, languages and knowledge systems. The pandemic has led to inequalities, disproportionality affecting populations all over the world. The day is observed to raise awareness to protect the social, economic, and political rights of the indigenous communities.