cope with chronic diseases and injuries. This has to be facilitated at school, at home, at work and in the community. We must act through professional, commercial and voluntary educational organizations, and also within the institutions. This implies a solid base and an environment that supports and gives access to information, life skills and opportunities for making healthy choices. Populations cannot achieve their fullest health potential unless it is possible to control those elements that determine health issues 2 . In that sense, Orofacial Myology, also known as Phonoaudiology, Myofunctional Therapy or Speech Therapy, has developed over the years various campaigns aimed at raising public awareness about the various problems that are treated by the Speech Therapist, but care must be taken to prevent pathology. However, there is enough scientific evidence that ignited a coordination of initiatives between universities and various health agencies in several countries in which health initiatives are implemented. This scenario shows the need to develop global campaigns to strengthen the field of Orofacial Myology and promote transdisciplinarity to educate the public about the care that must be implemented to prevent disease. In 1999 in Brazil the Sociedade Brasileira de Laringologia e Voz (SBLV) with the support of the Sociedade Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia, the Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia, the Sociedade Brasileira de Endoscopia, the Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia de Cabeca e Pescoco, the Associacao Brasileira de Canto and the Conselho Regional de Fonoaudiologia 4°, created the Voice Day, developing awareness campaigns about laryngeal cancer throughout Brazil. This initiative inspired countries like Argentina, Portugal and the United States to initiate Voice Day campaigns to be celebrated the 16 th of April of every year. In 2002 the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck, created the “World Voice Day” and from that moment on, celebrations began to be held in various countries of the world, which raised awareness by other professionals and the public about caring for the voice 4 . Another specialty in Speech Pathology is Orofacial Myology, and it is this specialty that initiated campaigns for awareness of initiatives of orofacial dysfunctions. In Brazil, Orofacial Myology is the field in which the Phonoaudiologist / Speech Therapist is responsible for the study, research, prevention, evaluation, development, qualification, improvement and rehabilitation of congenital or acquired disorders of the Myofunctional and cervical system and its functions, such as suction, chewing, swallowing, breathing and phono articulation 5,6 . The phonoaudiological work in Orofacial Myology area began in 1970 in several countries, and since then several books and scientific articles have been published. In addition, it began to create groups of Speech Therapists and other professionals interested in the study of the Stomatognathic System. Thus, in the year 1972 the United States created the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM), the first association including Speech-Language Pathologists dedicated to applications of Orofacial Myology, which also created the International Journal of Orofacial Myology (IJOM) in 1975. The IJOM published specific scientific research in OM 7-10 . In 1983 in Sao Paulo, Brazil the Centro Especializado en Fonoaudiologia Clinica (CEFAC) was founded. In 1998 the Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia (SBFa) founded the Orofacial Motricity committee which is now called the Department of Orofacial Myology. In that same year in the city of
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Open Access
Dec 13, 2015
Teitur Jónsson 
