Opening Session: 'We are here to be leaders'

Michael Marmot has a medical condition with odd symptoms.

He's constantly optimistic.

He's selectively deaf.

And his eyes tend to water at disadvantageous moments.

He discussed his symptoms during his keynote address at today's Opening Session of APHA's 141st Annual Meeting and Exposition and then noted that his condition is what keeps him going.

Marmot, chair of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health and a leader in health equity research, has to be optimistic in the face of dire messages about health inequity worldwide. And he has to be deaf to those who tell him that inequity is a force too big to beat.

And the tears? They come from hearing from all of the people who know we can do better and are excited to try.

Marmot's address, the centerpiece of the Opening Session, served as a rallying cry to those in attendance, urging them not to back away from the fight and, at times, goading them toward change.

At one point, Marmot noted that the U.S. ranks below Latvia when it comes to child poverty, concluding that such a low ranking must have been a choice.

“The level of child poverty is a decision governments make,” he told the audience. “You have a functioning democracy, so this must be the way you want it.”

If not, he said, public health must work to change that reality.

Public health's role in changing the status quo was a central theme of the Opening Session, starting with changes within the Association itself. APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin kicked off the session with a video screening announcing the new APHA and its new tagline: For science. For action. For health. (More on that, plus a video about the new APHA, is here.)

In his speech welcoming APHA to Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino, who is serving his final term before leaving office, outlined what his government has done to improve the health of Bostonians. Achievements include banning smoking in bars and workplaces, keeping trans fats out of restaurants and, in what he called “the biggest fight of my political career,” getting sugary beverage vending machines out of schools.

“I've taken some lumps, but I don't regret any of those decisions,” he said. “They've been effective at improving health.”

As evidence, he cited a 10 percent reduction in smoking (from 25 percent to 15 percent), and a 50 percent drop in teen pregnancies.

“I don't want to leave the impression that we solved all the problems,” he said. “The next mayor will not be bored. But we're leaving a solid foundation.”

Menino ended with a rallying cry as well, urging public health to continue its hard work and making a dig at national politicians.

“Washington doesn't care about us,” he said. “It's gone away from the people. We've got to stay strong, we've got to send out a message out there. We've got to advocate for programs that are so, so important to us.”

The session closed with attorney Sarah Weddington, who argued for the winning side in the landmark case of Roe v. Wade. Weddington is featured in an online documentary series called "Makers" that looks at the work of groundbreaking women.

In speaking to Opening Session attendees, Weddington focused on the role of public health professionals as leaders in the fight for women's health. She urged those assembled to be bold in their work and to take risks.

“It is part of being a leader to do things you're not sure are going to work,” she said.

She recalled a time when women who sought birth control from student health services at the University of Texas had to first prove that they were within six weeks of getting married, “so they could be protected on their wedding night.”

From that history, we've come a long way, she said, but more remains to be done and that work will be done by leaders.

“We are here to think globally, but to act locally,” she said, echoing the Annual Meeting theme. “We are here to be leaders. We are here to...find the willingness and the ability to leave our thumbprints.”

Check back here in the coming days for video of the Opening Session speakers. And tell us about your favorite Opening Session moments in the comments below.

— C.T.

Above from top to bottom, Opening Session speakers Michael Marmot, Sarah Weddington and Thomas Menino. Photos courtesy Jim Ezell/EZ Event Photography

Start your engines...

What happens every April, lasts for a week, and is good for you and your community's health? National Public Health Week, of course!

And as we remind you just about every year on this very blog, it's never too early to start planning. Next year's National Public Health Week observance, which will run April 7–13, 2014, has a theme of "Public Health: Start Here" and is focused on helping Americans navigate the changing world of public health. As the new National Public Health Week brochure notes: "The public health system that keeps our communities healthy and safe is changing as technologies advance, public attitudes toward health shift, and more health and safety options become available. Public health professionals are the guides to this system, helping our communities navigate the many choices along the way to achieving and maintaining health."

To help guide your friends, neighbors and communities through our always-evolving public health system, next year's National Public Health Week celebration will be broken into five daily themes. Day one focuses on staying healthy at home, day two on disaster preparedness, day three on prevention, day four on eating healthy, and day five on the most promising public health practices for becoming the healthiest nation in one generation. On each day, public health practitioners, supporters and advocates are encouraged to use the daily theme to illustrate the role of the public health system in helping people and communities achieve each goal.

To learn more about next year's public health celebration and download a brochure, visit www.nphw.org or stop by the National Public Health Week booth, #1285, at the Public Health Expo. Also, follow National Public Health Week on Twitter, @NPHW, for updates. And if you're looking for celebration ideas, check out nationwide coverage of the 2013 National Public Health Week observance in The Nation's Health newspaper. 

Let's make next year's National Public Health Week celebration the biggest yet! On your mark, get set, start!

— K.K.

A new day for APHA

For more than 140 years, APHA has reinvented the field of public health. Today as we face the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly changing health system it is time for APHA to evolve again. We need to make sure the voice of public health — your voice — remains loud and clear. 

Welcome to the new (and colorful) APHA. Announced at today's Opening Session, your new APHA is more than just a redesigned logo. It’s about a recommitment to our values as an organization and infusing a new energy and confidence in pursuit of our mission. We've  listened to you — our members — and we are repositioning APHA to better meet your needs as you work toward better health for all. The new APHA — and our new tagline (and rallying cry), For science. For action. For health. —  is based on the values that are the heart and soul of public health. As APHA's Executive Director, Dr. Georges Benjamin, said at the Opening Session:

We believe in community — as a place to solve problems, share new ideas, explore different perspectives and come together as one. It is our community that gives us greater potential for impact.

We believe in science and evidence-based decision-making — to assure that our work addresses the issues and informs the solutions to make the difference we know is needed. It is our evidence-based approach that leads to the best policies and practices.

We believe in health equity — to address the underlying injustice that is rampant in so many communities. It is health equity that allows ALL people and ALL communities to be healthy.

We believe in prevention and wellness — to prevent disease and injury, mitigate the impact of disasters and ensure healthy environments. It is prevention and wellness that leads to the healthy choice being the easy choice.  

We believe in real progress — to hold ourselves accountable to forward movement in health. It is real progress that sometimes means just small steps and sometimes means a leap forward, but always means healthier communities. 

Let's honor public health's great history and achievements by joining together, building a movement and speaking in a voice too united to ignore: For science. For action. For health.

To learn more about the new APHA and our new direction, visit www.apha.org/future and check out the above video.

— K.K.

Taking care of business

Public health workers got down to business yesterday with meetings of the APHA Governing Council (top two photos) and state and local public health associations at the Affiliate Day gathering (two bottom photos).

  

 

 

 

Photos courtesy Jim Ezell/EZ Event Photography

World Series celebration? How ‘bout a public health parade?

An exciting buzz fills the Boston air. People are making quick friends of strangers and running into people they haven’t seen in a while. Can you feel that energy? No, silly, it’s not because the Red Sox just won the World Series. APHA’s 141st Annual Meeting and Exposition has begun! More than 12,000 public health professionals have taken over Beantown, bonded by their shared commitment to making their communities healthier places to live and thrive.

Gironda

Melanie Gironda, at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, is looking for sessions specific to her research area: Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and elder abuse and neglect. While teaching California dental students about caring for older adults, she said she “was amazed that they didn’t know…elder abuse existed.”

So, Gironda successfully sought a grant to assess dental students’ awareness of elder abuse and then educate them on the issue so they could recognize and report signs of abuse. More recently, she received federal funding to pilot a preventive intervention program for older adults and their caregivers.

“It’s not on people’s radar,” Gironda said. “There are so many different types of elder abuse. One that’s really emerging is financial abuse. There may also be emotional and physical abuse. It’s a complex issue.”

Nkanza

Jean Nkanza, with the Public Health Agency of Canada in Ottawa, is attending his first Annual Meeting. He works in vaccine safety and surveillance and will be a part of a presentation on HPV vaccination in Canada — which does not face the same controversy as it does in the United States.

“In your society, it’s very, very hard,” he said. “We have few health care personnel who are in opposition [to the HPV vaccine]. Most are superb at vaccinating.”

Another first-timer is Harry Alleyn, an epidemiology student at Florida International University. Alleyn flagged several sessions in the APHA app that he’s interested in attending, such as those on infectious diseases, chronic diseases and disparities. He also plans to attend sessions on the Affordable Care Act to learn more about what it offers Americans.

Alleyn

“We plan to have a discussion panel at my school [about ACA], and I want to get a better feel for it,” he said.

Asif Patel of New York City is doing his part to improve global health by starting with the tiny village where he grew up, Mehra BK, India.

“I was educated there through the 10th grade, so I owe something to them,” Patel said. He has started a nutrition program for school clinics in his hometown and credits technology such as Skype with allowing him to stay updated on the program. “The world’s becoming a global village,” he said. “Technology has a very big role to play in public health, and it’s becoming easier now.”

Patel

Patel is also interested in nutrition issues in his backyard: “I live in New York, and I live in one of the poorest districts in the United States — the Bronx,” he said. “I’ve observed obesity is a big, big problem. We need more efforts to incorporate healthy nutrition habits among children.”

Kate Jerman is attending the Annual Meeting “mostly” for her first time—she went to a few events in 2012 when the meeting was in her backyard in San Francisco. But this year, she’s all in. She’s fairly new in her position with the maternal and child health program at the University of California, Berkeley, so she is interested in meeting other MCH professionals.

She wants to find ways to recruit students to her program and educate the public better about MCH issues.

Jerman

“For all the public health issues, part of our challenge is getting our message out and working with the public,” she said.

What do you hope to learn at this year’s meeting? Share in the comments section below.

 — M.P.





(Photos by Melanie Padgett Powers)

Council of Affiliates holds reception

APHA's Council of Affiliates held its annual reception Saturday night. The night included an awards ceremony and an opportunity to reconnect with old friends.

Photos courtesy Jim Ezell/EZ Event Photography

Students find inspiration in the diversity of global health

Diversity was a primary topic throughout Saturday’s APHA Student Assembly Annual National Student Meeting. So it was fitting that the students’ public health interests were as diverse, though many are focusing on how they can help people globally.

Yves-Yvette Young said one of the biggest global health issues is reproductive health among adolescents.

“In some places they don’t have comprehensive sexual education programs. Kids need to at least know what they’re getting themselves into so they can protect themselves….It’s a big problem worldwide,” she said.

Young, who is an undergraduate psychology major at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, spent the past two summers interning at Johns Hopkins as part of the Diversity Summer Internship Program. There, she had the opportunity to get involved in the Well-Being of Adolescents in Vulnerable Environments Study. She examined the reproductive health component, finding that the age of onset of sex is decreasing worldwide.

“Kids don’t have access to a good reproductive health network; that’s where the problem is,” she explained.

Taj Azarian, a PhD student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is studying genomic epidemiology of infectious diseases. He said one of the biggest global health issues we face is emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as the cholera outbreak in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

He is involved in research examining the impact of the cholera epidemic on the country’s infrastructure and how the disease is being transmitted. Thousands have died in the last three years, and hundreds of thousands have been sickened — all from a disease that didn’t previously exist in Haiti.

“Infectious diseases have shaped history a number of times,” Azarian said. “We’ve seen this with global flu pandemics, previous cholera epidemics…Every time we think we’ve figured out a disease, a new disease emerges.”

All this talk of global health has inspired Ragan Hart, who is earning a master’s degree in genetic epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her interests lie in chronic diseases in the U.S., but after today’s presentations, she wants to seek out a global health fellowship.

“I just had a self reflection today,” she said. A few years ago she took part in a mission trip to Honduras. It had been a personal journey, one she had not connected to her professional goals. But, she said, now she sees how she could use her public health expertise in a community outside the US to help “with whatever the community needs.”

Debbie Huang, a master’s of public health student at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, is hoping to gain inspiration during the next several days at the Annual Meeting. “I’m still trying to find my niche,” she said. “That’s part of my goal of this conference…I’m here to gain some wisdom.”

— M.P.

(Above photos from top to bottom: Yves-Yvette Young, Taj Azarian, Ragan Hart, Debbie Huang. Photos by Melanie Padgett Powers.)

Sunday's Have You Heard

We're open!: What do a famous reproductive health attorney, an internationally acclaimed epidemiologist and the mayor of Boston all have in common? They'll all be center stage at this year's Annual Meeting Opening Session, which kicks off at noon in Hall B2 of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. This year's speakers include Sarah Weddington, who argued Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court; Sir Michael Marmot, a epidemiologist known worldwide for his research into the social determinants of health; and our host city's mayor, Thomas Menino, who will welcome thousands of public health practitioners to one of the nation's most historic cities. 

Bring your goodie bags: Because if it's Sunday, it's also the grand opening of the Public Health Expo! More than 700 booths of public health goodness (and public health goodies) await you at the Expo, which officially opens its doors at 2 p.m. in Halls A/B1 of the convention center. Don't forget to stop by Everything APHA in the center of the Expo hall to check out...well, the name kind of says it all. You can browse APHA books, membership info, APHA CareerMart and pretty much everything APHA has to offer. And if you're more of a planner than a wanderer, visit the Virtual Expo to map out your Expo route.

The road to better health: With the opening of the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, millions of uninsured Americans finally have an opportunity to get affordable, quality coverage. If you're among the masses who need insurance, stop by the APHA Public Health Policy Center booth, #1283, at the Public Health Expo to sit down with an official ACA navigator, who can help you find your way through the new marketplace.

The ABCs of APHA: New to APHA? Check out the New Member Orientation session from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in room 205AB of the convention center.

From cyberspace to meeting place: Ever wonder who's behind your favorite public health social media sites? (Especially our very own @PublicHealth Twitter feed, which has more than 281,000 followers!) Then RSVP to Sunday night's APHA Social Media Meetup hosted by APHA's Social Media Team. The meetup will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at MJ O'Connors inside the Westin Boston Waterfront.