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Speak For Health

As the leading voice and advocate for improving the public’s health, APHA is an active participant in conversations impacting the health of all Americans. We work with journalists covering the nation’s health, telling the stories of Americans looking to live healthy lives and public health workers on the frontlines of caring for all.

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New report shows some health equity wins. Experts fear they will be short-lived

Commonwealth Fund study documents state-by-state disparities

Why Maryland’s first case of measles this year is worrying experts

The Maryland Department of Health released few details of the case that was disclosed Sunday...

Health Experts Weigh In on Effects of DOD's Optional Flu Vaccine Policy

Health experts are hoping the effects of new Pentagon policy are minimal following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to make flu vaccines optional rather than required.

Trump nominates former Coast Guard doctor as CDC chief

President Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz, who served as deputy surgeon general in his first administration, to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

America 250: Public health breakthroughs that shaped the nation: water fluoridation

Recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, community water fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of fluoride levels in public drinking water to the concentration recommended for preventing tooth decay.

Federal judge temporarily blocks RFK Jr.’s vaccine policy changes amid lawsuit

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked many of the changes Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made to the federal vaccine policy since taking office in Feb. 2025.

Here's how a year of RFK, Jr., has changed American science

One year ago this week, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm vaccine opponent, environmental lawyer and politician Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as head of the $1.7 trillion U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

U.S. is leaving World Health Organization

On Thursday, Jan. 22, the United States is officially leaving the World Health Organization, which President Donald Trump has accused of not serving American interests. Public health experts warn the withdrawal from the agency will put the U.S. at increased health risk.

Dr. Georges Benjamin quoted on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

RFK Jr. & HHS: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses the budget and staffing cuts being made to public health agencies in the U.S. under RFK Jr.’s new leadership and the many ways those cuts will impact all of us.

Annual Meeting

Health is a human right, and we are making it a national priority. See the APHA 2025 stories journalists are sharing.

Hundreds rally for public health amid government shutdown in DC

Hundreds of people gathered on the National Mall on Wednesday, calling for urgent action to protect public health as funding cuts, job losses and the ongoing government shutdown continue to strain the nation’s healthcare system.

Public health grapples with federal changes and the rise of MAHA

The Trump Administration is making deep cuts to staffing and funding for the existing health system, and at the same time, the Make America Healthy Again movement is on the rise.

Depoliticize Public Health to Rebuild Trust, Former HHS Officials Say

Public health workers must help deliver wins at the state level, educate the judiciary, and perhaps most challenging of all, work to depoliticize health, experts and former HHS officials said during a panel discussion at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting.

Public health leaders are meeting to figure out how to counter the MAHA movement

Public health leaders and researchers are kicking off a meeting in Washington, D.C., to discuss how to counter what they see as dangerous ideas coming from the Make America Healthy Again movement.

NPHW

Good health doesn't just happen. See takeaways from National Public Health Week 2026.

Medical Economics Publication celebrating 100 years

Health care epidemic of misinformation is rooted in problem of trust, experts say

Experts delivered their messages as part of National Public Health Week, happening April 6 to 12. The American Public Health Association convened speakers in person and online to discuss this year’s theme of “Ready. Set. Action!” Part of the action is communicating accurate information about benefits of treatments and practices in a time when people are inundated with wrong claims about health care and public health.

Policy Advocates Discuss Misinformation in Health Care

Policy advocates talked about combating misinformation in health care at an American Public Health Association forum. Topics included the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of misinformation, public health funding, vaccine hesitancy, social media algorithms, and trusted sources for public health information.

1 in 3 adults now turn to AI for health advice

At an American Public Health Association event held April 6 during National Public Health Week, Jessica B. Steier, Dr.P.H., CEO of Unbiased Science, delivered a keynote address arguing that the larger misinformation challenge in American health care is fundamentally about trust rather than data

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APHA 2026 — Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan

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