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American Public Health Association

 

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American Public Health Association



 
 
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is Washington, D.C.-based professional organization for public health professionals in the United States. Founded in 1872 by Dr. Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith (surgeon)

Stephen Smith was an American surgeon and a pioneer in public health.Smith led the establishment of the Metropolitan Board of Health in New York City in 1866, the first such public health agency in the United States....
, APHA has more than 30,000 members worldwide. The Association defines itself as being "the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world." It defines its mission as: "The association works to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats.






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The American Public Health Association (APHA) is Washington, D.C.-based professional organization for public health professionals in the United States. Founded in 1872 by Dr. Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith (surgeon)

Stephen Smith was an American surgeon and a pioneer in public health.Smith led the establishment of the Metropolitan Board of Health in New York City in 1866, the first such public health agency in the United States....
, APHA has more than 30,000 members worldwide. The Association defines itself as being "the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world." It defines its mission as: "The association works to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats. APHA represents a broad array of health officials, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health providers at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions."

Sections

There are 25 primary Sections that represent major public health disciplines or public health programs. These sections are designed to allow members with shared interests to come together to develop scientific program content, policy papers in their areas of interest or fields of practice, provide for professional and social networking, career development and mentoring.

Sections serve as the primary professional units of the Association and conduct activities that promote the mission and fulfill the goals of APHA. Sections create a variety of opportunities for member involvement, thus making the APHA experience richer for individuals who have the opportunity to attend and choose to interact with their primary Sections.

Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section
Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section

The Public Health Education and Health Promotion section is one of 25 primary sections and special interest groups within the American Public Health Association ....

Public Health Education and Health Promotion is one of 25 primary sections and special interest groups within APHA. In fact, PHEHP is the largest section, with around 3,000 members. Like all sections within APHA, PHEHP is governed by a group of elected volunteers who hold offices for terms of varying length. Section officers include a chair, chair-elect, secretary, secretary-elect and immediate past chair. Section councilors and governing councilors represent the members and concerns of the section within the larger organization. Section committees, lead by volunteers from the Section, are where the "work" of the Section is accomplished. Explore this website to learn about these and other opporutnities to get involved in PHEHP.

Section Awards

Section Awards Being honored by your professional peers has very special meaning to people. Acknowledge some of the professionals who have been important to your career or who, in your mind, have made important contributions to the field by nominating them for one of these prestigious awards.

The Public Health Education and Health Promotion section recognizes individuals in six award categories. The awards include:

Current Section Members Eligible

1. Distinguished Career Award
Distinguished Career Award

APHA-PHEHP Distinguished Career Award is given for outstanding contribution to the practice and profession of health education, health promotion and/or health communications....
 - for outstanding contribution to the practice and profession of health education, health promotion and/or health communications. The awardee must have earned a terminal degree 10 years or more prior to receiving the award.

2. Early Career Award - for outstanding contribution to the practice and profession of health education, health promotion and/or health communications. The awardee must have earned a terminal degree less than 10 years prior to receiving the award.

Current Section and/or APHA member eligible

1. Mayhew Derryberry Award - for outstanding contribution of behavioral scientists to the field of health education, health promotion and/or health communications research or theory.

2. Mohan Sing Award - for the use of humor to promote better health education, health promotion and/or health communications practice.

3. Sarah Mazelis Award - for an outstanding practitioner in health education. The awardee will have spent at least five years as a health education, health promotion and/or health communications practitioner.

4. Rogers Award – for outstanding contribution to advancing the study and/or practice of public health communication.

Campaign for Children's Health Care


The APHA is a partner in the Campaign for Children's Health Care
Campaign for Children's Health Care

The Campaign for Children's Health Care is an United States issue advocacy campaign dedicated to making high-quality, affordable health insurance coverage for all of America's children a top national priority....
, a multi-year campaign to raise awareness about the problem of uninsured children in America - a growing social concern.

Climate Change and Public Health

In 2007, the APHA issued a policy statement entitled Addressing the Urgent Threat of Global Climate Change to Public Health and the Environment:

The long-term threat of global climate change
Climate change

Climate change is any long-term significant change in the expected patterns of average weather of a specific region over an appropriately significant period of time....
 to global health is extremely serious and the fourth IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body tasked to risk management of climate change caused by human activity....
) report and other scientific literature demonstrate convincingly that anthropogenic
Anthropogenic

Anthropogenic effects, processes or materials are those that are derived from human activities, as opposed to those occurring in natural environments without human influence....
 GHG emissions are primarily responsible for this threat….US policy makers should immediately take necessary steps to reduce US emissions of GHGs, including carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
, to avert dangerous climate change.


Sponsored awards

  • Rema Lapouse Award
    Rema Lapouse Award

    Sponsored by the American Public Health Association's Mental Health, Epidemiology, and Statistics Sections, this award is granted to an outstanding scientist in the area of psychiatric epidemiology....
     - sponsored by the Mental Health, Epidemiology, and Statistics Sections, this award is granted to an outstanding scientist in the area of psychiatric epidemiology
    Epidemiology

    Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine....
    .


See also

  • American Journal of Public Health
    American Journal of Public Health

    The American Journal of Public Health is a peer reviewed monthly journal of the American Public Health Association . The Journal also regularly publishes authoritative editorials and commentaries and serves as a forum for the analysis of health policy....


External links