World Preeclampsia Day2026 · Date · History
Preeclampsia Foundation and global maternal-health partners
About World Preeclampsia Day
World Preeclampsia Day takes place on May 22 to draw attention to potentially serious high-blood-pressure disorders during pregnancy and after birth.
The international awareness campaign brings patient advocates and maternal-health specialists together around recognition, accessible maternity services and respectful follow-up.
Why World Preeclampsia Day matters
Preeclampsia is more than an ordinary change in blood pressure, and warning signs can be missed or confused with other pregnancy symptoms.
Awareness should encourage early contact with a qualified maternity team, including for concerning symptoms after delivery; a campaign post cannot assess an individual pregnancy.
History of World Preeclampsia Day
The Preeclampsia Foundation and international maternal-health partners announced the inaugural World Preeclampsia Day for Monday, May 22, 2017.
The foundation still identifies May 22 as the annual date, while the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy describes contemporary international educational and patient-participation activities.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Preeclampsia Foundation with international maternal-health partners
Preeclampsia Foundation first-day announcement names its coordinating role and co-sponsors.
First documented observance
Foundation inaugural announcement explicitly identifies 2017 first edition and May 22.
Preeclampsia Foundation and participating maternal-health organizations
Foundation annual date and ISSHP 2026 global campaign coverage.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe World Preeclampsia Day
Share resources from the Preeclampsia Foundation or an established professional maternity-health organization.
Discuss how to support respectful access to prenatal and postpartum care without asking anyone to disclose pregnancy outcomes.
If someone has symptoms or a blood-pressure concern during pregnancy or postpartum, encourage prompt assessment by their own qualified care team rather than interpreting a post as a diagnosis.
World Preeclampsia Day Facts
May 22 is the established annual international awareness date.
The first coordinated campaign was announced for 2017 by the Preeclampsia Foundation with several collaborating organizations.
Preeclampsia can affect pregnancy and the period after delivery; clinical assessment and appropriate follow-up matter.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Health Information Not Medical Advice.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy — global May 2026 programs (opens in a new tab)
Preeclampsia Foundation — inaugural 2017 World Preeclampsia Day announcement (opens in a new tab)
Preeclampsia Foundation — May 22 date and awareness resources (opens in a new tab)
Preeclampsia Foundation — World Preeclampsia Day (opens in a new tab)
Organizer Dedicated Page
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Preeclampsia Day?
22 May The documented recurrence rule is: 22 May.
Does World Preeclampsia Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Preeclampsia Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: international preeclampsia awareness observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Preeclampsia Day?
The documented basis is: Preeclampsia Foundation and global maternal-health partners. Supporting evidence includes Preeclampsia Foundation — World Preeclampsia Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is World Preeclampsia Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: international preeclampsia awareness observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-09.
When is World Preeclampsia Day?
It is marked on May 22 each year.
When did it begin?
The Preeclampsia Foundation and collaborators announced the first World Preeclampsia Day in 2017.
Is this a government-declared day off?
No global paid holiday or government leave entitlement is established by the reviewed campaign sources.
Should someone use an awareness post to judge symptoms?
No. Anyone concerned about possible symptoms during pregnancy or after birth should contact a qualified maternity or emergency-care service promptly.
Other observances on May 22
These observances are also listed on May 22, 2027.
Commemoration of the abolition of slavery — Martinique
French Law no. 83-550 established the territorial abolition-commemoration public-holiday framework, Decree no. 83-1003 fixed 22 May for Martinique, and current Labour Code article L3422-2 p…
Harvey Milk Day
SB 572 (Chapter 626, Statutes of 2009) established the annual May 22 California designation; current CDE material cites Education Code section 37222.13.
International Day for Biological Diversity
A/RES/55/201
National Craft Distillery Day
National Day Calendar identifies Nicholas Strauser, Connie Strauser and Brandy Strauser-Sobanski of N Scott Distillery as the 2019 founders and records May 22 as the annual observance date.
National Maritime Day
United States Code, title 36 §128
National Vanilla Pudding Day
Two Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals chapter calendars list National Vanilla Pudding Day on 22 May.