During the first full week of April each year, the APHA (American Public Health Association) brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation.
The APHA champions the health of all people and all communities, and, according to their website, is “the only organization that combines a 150-year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to influence policy to improve the public’s health.”
Every year, the APHA chooses a theme to help spread the word about Public Health. In 2024, the theme for NPHW is “Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: We Are All Public Health.” As the APHA describes it, “Public health is more than just health care. It’s the steps we take to make sure our neighborhoods and environment are free from pollution. It’s making sure our food and water are safe to eat and drink. It’s also the relationships we foster in our communities. We’re all interconnected. When we all come together to support public health, all of us — individuals, families, communities and the public health field — can achieve the goals of public health.
To help celebrate, the APHA has developed tools to help bring awareness to improving our nation’s public health:
- A toolkit to plan local events in your community.
- Fact sheets and shareables to explore different public health topics with your friends, family and community members.
- Take action on public health with your local elected leaders.
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