Washington, D.C., November 1, 2007
– Thousands of public health professionals will meet in Washington, D.C., Nov. 3-7 to present new research and address the nation’s most pressing public health issues at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 135th Annual Meeting.
The five-day meeting of more than 1,000 scientific sessions, poster presentations and panel discussions is expected to draw around 14,000 public health researchers, practitioners and policy-makers from around the world.
Press interested in attending can register for complimentary press credentials at the Annual Meeting Press Office in Room 101 of the Washington Convention Center.
Meeting highlights for press include:
· Opening and Closing General Sessions featuring:
- Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health, Council on Foreign Relations
- Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Sanjay Gupta, MD, neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent
· America’s Health Rankings Press Conference - Monday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m.
United Health Foundation, in partnership with APHA and Partnership for Prevention, will release the 2007 edition of America’s Health Rankings: A Call to Action for People & Their Communities at the National Press Club. The rankings look at health disparities between states, between the U.S. and other industrialized nations, and between races and ethnicities. Featured speakers include:
- Reed Tuckson, MD, member of the board of directors, United Health Foundation
- Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director, APHA
- John Clymer, president, Partnership for Prevention
· Unembedded Media Event - Monday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
An opening reception will mark the D.C. premiere of “Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq” and will explore the costs of war and highlight the connection between public health, peace, labor and U.S. veterans communities. Featured speakers include:
- Deborah Klein Walker, EdD, president, APHA
- Arlene Holt Baker, executive vice president, AFL-CIO
- Michael McCally, MD, PhD, executive director, Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Garrett Reppenhagen, Iraq Veterans Against the War
- Kael Alford, photojournalist, “Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq”
· Climate Change Initiative Press Conference - Tuesday, Nov. 6, 12:30 p.m.
Some of the nation’s most highly respected public health experts will announce a major new initiative on climate change and health. Featured speakers include:
- Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director, APHA
- Jonathan Patz, MD, MPH, associate professor of Environmental Studies and Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison; principal lead author, Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC)
- Lillian Shirley, BSN, MPH, MPA, director, Multnomah (Ore.) County Health Department
· During the meeting, public health leaders will also debate and vote on policies with wide-ranging impact for public health. Included among the policies that APHA’s Governing Council will consider are:
- Addressing Obesity and Health Disparities Through Federal Nutrition and Agriculture Policy
- Vaginal Douching and Adverse Reproductive Health Outcomes
- Addressing the Urgent Threat of Global Climate Change to Public Health and the Environment
- Promoting School Information Sharing for Public Health Purposes
- A Call to Action on Breastfeeding: A Fundamental Public Health Issue
For a list of highlighted APHA Annual Meeting sessions, visit http://www.apha.org/about/news/pressreleases/2007/2007amhighlights.htm.