Twenty-six policy papers submitted to APHA in four categories of disparities, environmental/occupational health, access to care and public health science/infrastructure can be reviewed by members. The revised policy statements are due to APHA by June 16; public hearings at the APHA Annual Meeting will be on Nov. 5; and the Governing Council will vote on policy statements at the APHA Annual Meeting on Nov. 7.

More information on the policy development process is available in an article written by Kathy Witgert entitled Call for position papers on APHA Priority Areas: Universal Health Care, Disparities, and Infrastructure.

The policy papers submitted for review are listed below.

GROUP - A: Health Disparities

• Addressing the Needs of Immigrants in Response to Natural and Human-Made Disasters in the United States (LB5)
• Enhancing Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance and Research Activities to Improve Health Outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native Persons
• Ensuring Access to Public Health Care and Health Care Services Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (LB4)
• Reducing Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Preterm and Low Birthweight Births (PP)

GROUP - B: Environmental and Occupational Health

• Addressing Potential Environmental and Occupational Health And Safety Risks of Nanotechnology (LB7)
• Conduct Crosscutting Research to Build an Evidence-Base of Effective Community Health Assessment Practice
• Promoting the Use of Protective Eyewear In Sports
• Resolution On Support For Freedom To Form Unions: The Employee Free Choice Act
• Resolution On Support For Overtime Pay Protection
• Response to Disasters: Protection of Rescue and Recovery Workers, Volunteers, and Residents Responding to Disasters (LB3)

GROUP - C Access to Health Care

• Abstinence and U.S. Abstinence-Only Educations Policies: Ethical and Human Rights Concerns
• Ensuring that Patients are Able to have Contraceptive Prescriptions filled at Pharmacies
• Hand Hygiene in PreK-12 Schools
• Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptives
• Pandemic Flu
• Regulating Drugs For Effectiveness and Safety: A Public Health Perspective (PP)
• Support for the Alaska Dental Health Aide and Therapist and Other Innovative Programs (LB1)

• The Role of the Pharmacist in Public Health 8024 (PP) Updated

GROUP D - Public Health Science and Infrastructure

• A Call For a Framework Convention on Alcohol Control
• Ethical Restrictions on International Recruitment of Health Professionals to the U.S.
• Opposition to the Continuation of the War in Iraq
• Reducing Nutrition-Related Disparities Through Food Stamp Nutrition Education & the 2007 Farm Bill
• Urgent Call for Nationwide Public Health Infrastructure and Action to Reverse the Obesity Epidemic

• Vote for Health