As an American Public Health Association (APHA) affiliate*, MPHA looks to the national group for leadership in advocacy, especially on the federal level. To learn more about some of APHA’s current campaigns, click on the links associated with each area of interest. If you have any questions, please see the home page for APHA, www.apha.org
Advocacy for Public Health
APHA works with key decisionmakers to shape public policy to address today’s ongoing public health concerns. Those include ensuring access to care, protecting funding for core public health programs and services and eliminating health disparities. APHA is also working on other critical public health issues including public health and emergency preparedness, food safety, hunger and nutrition, climate change and other environmental health issues, public health infrastructure, disease control, international health and tobacco control. For additional information on these and other APHA policies and advocacy activities and to get involved, visit this link. https://www.apha.org/Policies-and-Advocacy/Advocacy-for-Public-Health
Take Action to Become the Healthiest Nation in One Generation
While America spends more money on health care than any other nation in the world, our health outcomes lag behind many other nations. The Healthiest Nation campaign is an effort to focus on areas in which improvements are sorely needed. https://www.apha.org/What-is-Public-Health/Generation-Public-Health/Take-Action/Can-we-become-the-healthiest-nation
Get Ready
The Get Ready campaign provides information, resources and tools to help individuals, families and communities in the United States prepare for a potential influenza pandemic, outbreak of an emerging infectious disease or other hazard or disaster. As part of the Get Ready campaign, APHA focuses attention during time changes in the spring and fall on a campaign called “Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks” to encourage people to check and replenish emergency supply kits twice each year. For more information, infographics, and suggestions for preparedness, visit this link. http://getreadyforflu.org/getreadyinfographics.htm
National Public Health Week
Since 1995, when the first full week of April was declared as National Public Health Week (NPHW), communities across the country have celebrated NPHW to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving the public’s health. APHA serves as the organizer of NPHW and develops a national campaign to educate the public, policy-makers and practitioners about issues related to that year’s theme. APHA creates comprehensive planning, organizing and outreach materials that can be used during and after the week to raise awareness. http://www.nphw.org/
2021 Special Advocacy
APHA has coordinated affiliates to sign onto letter to Congress in support of:
- Sign-on letter to U.S. House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee leaders in support of at least $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. For reference, CDC is currently funded at a level of $7.82 billion for FY 2021 so this represents about a $2.18 billion increase over the current year level.
- Public Health Infrastructure sign-on letter to congressional leadership calling for significant, sustained investment in public health infrastructure and workforce in COVID response/recovery legislation. This letter is being led by American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, BPC Action, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Public Health Accreditation Board, and Trust for America’s Health.
- A sign-on letter to Senator Roger Wicker to be a lead cosponsor the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act (TAP) again this year. Information on TAP and its impact in Mississippi:
- TAP is the major federal source of transportation funding for bicycling, walking, and Safe Routes to School.
- TAP is currently funded at $850M/year, and this year we are asking to increase that amount.
- Mississippi receives $9.6 million per year from TAP to make it easier and safer for people to walk, bike, and roll throughout their communities.
- Since 2013, 140 projects in Mississippi have been funded by TAP in all corners of the state. From Tupelo to Verona, Hattiesburg to Hernando, Starkville to Summit, communities of all sizes have benefitted from TAP and can benefit in the future.
- Between 2016 and 2019, the State received over $75 million worth of project proposals from local governments, but it could not fund half of them because of lack of funds.
*MPHA functions independently from the national association, and we may or may not support all APHA views and positions