You’re invited to be a part of the Healthiest Nation in One Generation

National Public Health begins today with the launch of a new video campaign entitled the Healthiest Nation in One Generation. We're hoping to make this video viral, so we need your help to spread the word.

This campaign is important because, let’s face it – as a nation we’re not nearly as healthy as we should be. Compared to other developed nations, we’re lagging far behind.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With your help, we can make America the healthiest nation in just one generation. By focusing on public health we can turn things around and start moving toward a healthy tomorrow.

The video follows a child through his life and tells the story of how public health is there each step of the way. Want to know more?

Watch the video today and visit www.generationpublichealth.org to learn more.

Help us reach our goal of 100,000 views by the end of this week to celebrate National Public Health Week! Share the video with your friends and family and encourage them to get involved.

America can make this the healthiest nation in one generation. We all have to do our part. What will you do?

Just around the corner

After months of preparation and hard work, National Public Health Week is finally upon us!

This year’s observance (April 6-12) kicks off Monday with the launch of an exciting, new viral video campaign. The video tells the story of the many ways that public health touches our lives and makes the case that through public health we can become the healthiest nation in one generation. Check back Monday for a first look!

In anticipation of NPHW, this week APHA released its Agenda for Health Reform. The document highlights the most critical changes we must make to improve the public’s health, based on long-standing APHA policies, as well as the best current evidence. Check it out today and let us know what you link!

Along with events at the national level, NPHW events are happening all around the nation. From Boston to Topeka, public health professionals are using this week as an opportunity to support public health in our nation. Click here to find out what’s happening in your community.

We hope you’ll join us next week and from here on out as we work to build the foundation for a healthy America.

Share your NPHW news

As you hold your National Public Health Week events in the coming weeks, be sure to keep APHA’s official newspaper, The Nation’s Health, in mind.

In an upcoming issue, The Nation’s Health will feature coverage of events held around the nation, and your activity could be one of them. Send us a short summary of your activities, when it was held, who was involved and what was accomplished. National Public Health Week photos and artwork are also welcome.

If possible, digital photos should be at a resolution of at least 300 dpi and should be e-mailed as separate JPEG attachments. Printed photos may be mailed. Please note if a photo credit should be given.

"This is your chance to share your ideas and experiences with public health colleagues from around the country," said Michele Late, the newspaper’s executive editor. "Everyone who sends us information will be mentioned. We would love to showcase your work."

Information should be e-mailed by Friday, April 24, to nations.health@apha.org or mailed to: Editor, The Nation’s Health, 800 I St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-3710. Everyone who sends their information via e-mail will receive a submission confirmation. Click here for more complete details on submitting your events to the newspaper.

The Nation’s Health will send extra copies of the issue to participants who send in their news, so be sure to include your mailing address and the name of a contact person.

For more information on submitting your National Public Health Week news to The Nation’s Health, call 202-777-2488 or e-mail nations.health@apha.org.

(Still not sure how or what to submit to The Nation’s Health? Check out last year’s coverage.)

Bad news + inspiration = ACTION

How’s our health faring in these new and troublesome (and sometimes frightening) economic times? Not too well, according to a recent article in The Nation’s Health newspaper, “U.S. economic crisis having worrisome effect on health.” As if the nation’s uninsurance problem wasn’t bad enough....

And check out this new video (below) from the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation about the public health response in a Kansas town devastated by a category 5 tornado. It’s pretty inspirational and illustrates just how vital our public health system truly is.



Bad news + inspiration = ACTION. So, visit President Obama’s health reform site to submit public health-related questions to regional health reform forums or just get involved in making sure public health has a seat at the table.

Health reform goes local

Yesterday marked the launch of a series of White House regional health forums that will be held across the country in the coming weeks. The first forum was held in Michigan and was attended by politicians, reporters, doctors, nurses and the public.

The day’s events included individuals sharing personal stories of how their lives have been impacted by astronomical health care costs, small business owners talking about their struggles to provide their employees with health coverage and politicians talking about their commitment to reform.

And according to an APHA member who attended, many of the principles APHA is endorsing for health reform - such as universal coverage, access to health services, emphasis on wellness and prevention, and reducing health disparities – were also mentioned by participants in the forum.

Does this forum sound like something in which you’d like to be involved? If you live in Vermont, Iowa, North Carolina or California, you’re in luck – these are the states hosting the next health forums. You can find out the dates and other information here.

Don’t live in one of those states but still want to get involved? You can play a role by submitting ideas or questions for the upcoming forums here.

What topics do you want to see covered at the forums? Do you think they are a good way to get more people involved in and supportive of health reform? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Full steam ahead

What a week!

This Tuesday, Americans heard President Obama say that health reform is critical to our nation’s economic future, that the recovery plan “makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that's one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control,” and that “health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.” [You can find a transcript of the speech here.]

And then less than 48 hours later, the president released a budget proposal including a $634 billion fund for health reform - calling it a “down payment” on universal coverage.

Taken together with the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program last month, the new administration has thus far lived up to its promise to work to ensure that everyone one in our nation has access to the health services needed to stay health. Additionally, there has also been a broad recognition of the role that public health and prevention must play in reform, which is a giant step toward better health in our nation.

APHA is pleased with the direction things are heading for health reform. Are you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Hear “Why Public Health Matters”

In support of National Public Health Week 2009 and its theme, “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America,” APHA is pleased to announce the release of a new video series – “Why Public Health Matters.”

Available for viewing on the NPHW Web site, the videos feature public health professionals from around the nation sharing their views on public health. The topics they consider include the greatest public health successes, the relevance of public health, challenges facing public health and much more.

Check them out today and then add your voice to the discussion by submitting your personal story of what public health means to you.