Advocacy group marks AML Awareness Day with interactive webpage launch
On April 21, Know AML aims to educate others on acute myeloid leukemia
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AML World Awareness Day, an annual effort to educate people about acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is coming up on April 21, and the advocacy group Know AML — comprised of member organizations from the Americas to Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania — is marking the day globally.
For this year’s awareness day, Know AML is conducting a campaign that “aims to increase awareness of acute myeloid leukemia and provide education” to people worldwide, according to its website.
A cornerstone of Know AML’s campaign this year is the launch of an interactive webpage that aims to help people learn about AML, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.
The webpage features clickable icons representing different aspects of the journey with AML, with topics that include steps for diagnosis, available treatments and side effects, psychological support, and clinical trials. By clicking each icon, users can open a popup that contains a written summary of the topic at hand, as well as a video and links to further reading.
Know AML is hoping that this new webpage can help people in the general public learn more about AML in an easily accessible format, as well as provide a helpful resource for those affected by the disease.
In addition to educational resources, the new webpage includes templates for printable journal entries for each topic. These sheets aim to give people with AML a structure to track their treatments and process their feelings throughout the journey. The pages can also be shared with friends or family as a quick way to share info.
Know AML encourages patients who feel comfortable to share their pages online as part of the broader effort to raise awareness.
Research funding efforts also mark AML World Awareness Day
As part of its campaign for AML World Awareness Day, Know AML is asking the community to spread the news about this webpage far and wide, both online and in person.
To help with sharing online, Know AML has created a variety of social media resources, such as banners, graphics, and videos. The group encourages community members to tag their advocacy posts with the hashtags #KnowAML and #AMLWorldAwarenessDay.
Know AML is also asking the AML community to complete a brief survey to collect feedback on the advocacy campaign and guide future initiatives.
In Great Britain, Leukemia UK is marking World Awareness by increasing public understanding of AML, which “claims nearly 2,700 lives each year in the UK,” according to the organization’s website. The group is seeking to highlight the disease’s signs and symptoms, and how devastating it can be as one of the blood cancers with low survival rates.
Leukemia UK is also showcasing patient stories and highlighting the impact of research it funds — such as advanced studies into how leukemia cells resist treatment. The goal is to push for more effective therapies and to encourage donations that help accelerate life-changing discoveries.
Other organizations, including Blood Cancer United, formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, also support AML World Awareness Day. Blood Cancer United is running a fundraising campaign, the Dare to Dream Project, with a goal of netting $175 million by 2027, according to its webpage. Through April 21, all donations will be matched, allowing supporters to “make an even greater impact,” the organization states.
