Established in 1976, the International Health Section provides leadership and expertise on global public health issues within APHA and the larger global health field through policy development, advocacy, public education and the dissemination of scientific knowledge and experience.
Read about our Section's establishment and evolution: Growth of International Health: An Analysis and History (PDF).
Learn more about global health at APHA.
Our Members
Our members include a broad range of global health professionals – from students and professors to interns and program directors to some of the world’s leading authorities on global health – living in over 60 countries and in practically every state of the U.S.
Our Work
We work to achieve our mission through the following priorities:
- Provide a multidisciplinary forum for scientific and public exchanges of knowledge and views on international and global health issues.
- Collaborate with those within APHA whose interests intersect with global health.
- Advocate for key global health issues within the Association and at various levels of government.
- Serve as advocates for the development and recognition of technically, scientifically and politically sound approaches to global health problems.
- Mobilize interest and encourage debate among professionals and the public on global health issues.
Our advocacy efforts are organized into four themes (or pillars) that transcend the work across multiple years. This is not to say that a crisis or an incident of particular interest to the section would not be covered, but these pillars are broad enough to incorporate almost any conceivable international health policy issue. The themes are as follows:
- Strengthening Public-Sector Health Systems
- Macroeconomic Justice for Health Communities
- Using Public Health Solutions to End War
- Movement Building for Social, Racial, and Health Justice
Member Benefits
As a member of our Section, you can help grow our legacy in public health practice! We offer many opportunities to get involved, such as joining Section leadership, collaborating with other organizations and partners, influencing APHA policies and priorities, reviewing abstracts and presenting your research at the APHA Annual Meeting.
Visit the IH blog to learn more.
Join Us!
Your participation is vital to our continued success. Become an active member of the Section when you join APHA. If you are already an APHA member, you can join as your second Section for no additional cost by updating your member profile.
Attend EventsCheck out the APHA calendar for upcoming Section events and browse our sessions at the 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo.
Visit on APHA LEAD
Section members can visit us on APHA LEAD to learn about upcoming events, join in discussions with other Section members, and access our Section’s resource library.
Follow on Social Media
Find us on X, Facebook and YouTube to receive up-to-date information on Section happenings as well as professional development opportunities.
Contribute
Support our efforts by making a donation. Be sure to select International Health Section Enrichment Fund from the dropdown menu labeled “(select fund).”