APHA’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity leads public health efforts to inspire action on climate and health, advance policy and galvanize the field to address climate change.
With a long-standing commitment to climate as a health issue, APHA’s center applies a health equity lens to help shape climate policy, engagement and action to justly address the needs of all communities regardless of age, geography, race, income, gender and more. APHA is the leading voice on the connection between climate and public health.
Check out our new 2023 strategic plan (PDF).
Meet the members of APHA’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity Advisory Board.
The center is excited to announce the 30 members of its 2023-2024 advisory board:
Mirna P. Amaya, University of Florida, APHA Human Rights Forum- Mirna P. Amaya, University of Florida, APHA Human Rights Forum
- Sonia Angell, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Nakia Bolden, American Cancer Society
- Alexis Cabarga, Rise Up Industries
- Olufunmilayo Chinekezi, National Academy of Medicine Climate Grant Challenge, NASEM
- Mauro Diaz-Hernandez
- Shanda Demorest, Health Care Without Harm
- Robin A. Evans-Agnew, School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, University of Washington Tacoma
- Jairo Garcia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Urban Climate Nexus
- Ans Irfan, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Harvard University Divinity School
- Tenaya Jackman, Hawai’i Public Health Association, Pacific Islands Primary Care Association
- Jaylan Jacobs, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Kealoha Fox, Institute for Climate and Peace
- Amna Khan, Ceres
- Rhea Goswami, The Environmental Justice Coalition
- Toni Marshall, Edelman
- Beto Martinez, CleanAirNow Environmental Justice, Moving Forward Network, SciCAN
- Leyla McCurdy, Children’s Environmental Health Network
- Nishita Matangi, Loma Linda University
- Rezwan Natiq, Nationalities Service Center
- Sarah Newman, Climate Mental Health Network
- Eunice Oladeji, Lincoln and Lancaster County Health Department
- Benito Pérez, Transportation for America
- Ajay Persaud, National Network of Public Health Institutes
- Lindsey Realmuto, American Medical Association
- Rev. Jon Robinson, Metropolitan AME Church
- Kurt Shickman
- Cecilia Sorensen, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
- Pamela Valera, Rutgers School of Public Health
- Deborah Klein Walker, Family Voices, New Hampshire Healthcare Workers for Climate Action
Meet the APHA Center for Climate, Health and Equity's inaugural advisory board.
The center works to:
- Raise awareness, so everyone in the U.S., beginning with the public health field, recognizes the urgency of practices, policies and individual choices that address climate change and improve public health.
- Enable an environment and culture in which "climate healthy" and equitable choices are easy choices.
- Promote policies focused on environmental justice and health equity designed to address climate change adaptation and mitigation.
- Support science that clarifies the health impacts of climate change, as well as offers solutions and policies to guide decisionmakers.
- Lead. APHA is recognized as the leading voice around the connection between climate change and health.
Our vision for America is that climate change is treated as a national priority with broad political and social support. In our vision, the nation will address climate change in ways that improve public health and health equity, creating the healthiest nation in one generation.
Questions? Please contact our climate change team or follow @PublicHealth using #ClimateChangesHealth.
Learn more about the connection between public health and climate change on our climate change page and from these APHA resources:
Meet the Center Staff
Frequently Asked Questions