General

Hot topics at APHA 2018

APHA’s 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo will convene thousands of public health experts in San Diego in just a few short weeks. With thousands of presentations to choose from, attendees will have their pick of public health topics to discuss and learn about at this year’s meeting.

Among the thousands, there are a few hot topics that stand out. Check out these popular themes at this year’s meeting and which sessions to attend to learn more.

Equity. This year’s meeting theme is Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now, and dozens of sessions will allow attendees to explore every aspect of this important public health priority. Consider adding these health equity sessions to your schedule:

  • Opening General Session
  • 3331.0: Health on the High Street: Building Healthy, Equitable and Resilient Communities
  • 3010.0: Health Equity and its Transformative Place in Social Change
  • 4126.0: How Can We Realize the ACA’s Health Equity Vision in the Era of Trump? Progress, Pitfalls and the Road Ahead
  • 4008.0: President-elect’s Session: All in All: Achieving Universal Coverage
  • 4130.0: Structured Racism and Privilege: A Root Cause of Health Inequities
  • 4234.0: Transforming Local Communities to Achieve Health Equity
  • 4327.0: Debunking the Myth: Immigrants as a Public Health Threat

Climate change and health. As climate change continues to impact public health, APHA is building on the momentum of last year’s meeting and hosting sessions about health impacts from lung disease to mental health, weather events and more at this year’s meeting.

  • 304.1: Environmental Justice Town Hall (Pre-registration required)
  • 5076.0: Health Impacts of Extreme Events and a Changing Climate
  • 4440.0: Disaster Response and Climate Change
  • 4025.0: Air Quality and Health Equity
  • 3251.0: Health Effects of Air Pollution: An Epidemiologic Perspective
  • 3125.0: Adaptation in Action: Success Stories in Climate and Health

Women and maternal health. In the last few years, media investigations and new data have shone a spotlight on maternal health and its shortcomings. The #MeToo movement created a renewed focus this year on women’s experiences with trauma, sexual violence and mental health, and political threats to reproductive rights continue to make headlines. Public health is working to address this and many other women’s health challenges throughout the meeting. Consider adding these maternal and women’s health sessions to your schedule:

  • Closing General Session, Dying Too Soon: A Look at Women’s Health
  • 5092.0: Social Determinants of Women’s Health
  • 4436.0: Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault and Harassment: A Comprehensive Perspective of the #MeToo Movement
  • 4049.0: Improving Pregnancy and Postpartum Outcomes: Advancing Women’s Health and Wellness
  • 3291.0: 2019 and Beyond: Opportunities and Challenges for Women’s Health
  • 3223.0: Addressing the Maternal Health Disparity Gap through Advocacy and Community Engagement: A Human Rights and Reproductive Justice Approach
  • 4295.0: Violence Against Women and Girls: Preventing Sexual Assault and Harassment

Opioids. The opioid crisis continues to intensify, with opioid overdoses taking such a large toll that they’ve been marked as a contributor to declining life expectancy. With a new bill recently passed by Congress to fund a response to the epidemic and continuing media attention, catch these sessions to stay up to date on this public health challenge.

  • 3035.0: Epidemiology of Opioid Use: Part 1
  • 4350.0: Epidemiology of Opioid Use: Part 2
  • 5088.0: The Opioid Crisis Today: A Public Health Epidemic Part I
  • 5138.0: The Opioid Crisis Today: A Public Health Epidemic Part II
  • 3235.0: The Emerging Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis: What Organizations and Communities Can Do to Make an Impact
  • 4323.0: Innovative Policy Approaches to the Opioid Epidemic
  • 4123.0: Mapping Mortality: Critical Issues in Opioid Overdose Surveillance

Gun violence. APHA is at the forefront of addressing gun violence as a public health threat. Congress relaxed restrictions on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research into gun violence this year, and while funding is yet to be seen, new opportunities for public health to address gun violence are already here.

  • 4235.0: Preventing Gun Violence: What Programs and Policies Work?
  • 5004.0: Keep Us Safe: Focusing our Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
  • 3016.0: Preventing Gun Violence: Understanding State and Federal Issues, Communication and the Importance of Putting a Face on the Data
  • 4362.0: Mass Shootings, Homicides and Other Firearm Injury Prevention
  • 3161.0: What We Have and What We Need: Laws to Address Firearm Violence and Injury

Looking to add some of these sessions to your schedule or interested in other hot topics? The APHA 2018 mobile app is your all-in-one tool for browsing the program, creating a custom schedule, navigating the convention center and connecting with other attendees. Please note: Sessions added to your schedule in the online program will not sync with your schedule in the mobile app.

Register now for APHA’s 2018 Annual Meeting and Expo. APHA’s Annual Meeting is the largest annual gathering of public health professionals. Thousands of people attend, and thousands of new scientific papers are presented each year on every public health topic. APHA 2018’s theme, “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now” puts health equity at the center of our field’s attention. Learn more and register to attend.

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