APHA Annual Meeting gathering at the intersection of climate and health

This year’s APHA Annual Meeting and Expo is gathering at the Georgia World Congress Center — one of the 15 largest LEED-certified buildings in the world. It’s a particularly appropriate location considering this year’s meeting theme is “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Changes Health.”

While every Annual Meeting offers sessions on the full spectrum of public health discipline and practice, the next few days will feature a wealth of sessions focused on climate change, from its impact on disease-carrying vectors to the role of transportation and planning professionals to occupational safety in the green job sector. In fact, this year’s meeting is the culmination of APHA’s Year of Climate Change and Health, which goes through December (for an explainer check out this video).

Right now, scientists and advocates from across the nation are converging on Atlanta to present their climate and health research at the Annual Meeting. (And frankly, it couldn’t come soon enough — just yesterday, federal officials released the “Fourth National Climate Assessment,” which stated: “The last few years have also seen record-breaking, climate-related weather extremes, the three warmest years on record for the globe, and continued decline in arctic sea ice. These trends are expected to continue in the future over climate (multidecadal) timescales.”) Meeting sessions in Atlanta will focus on the role of public health in mitigating, preventing and adapting to the effects of climate change. For example, at session 4115 on Tuesday, attendees will hear research on readying schools for the environmental impacts of climate change, while session 5020 on Wednesday will offer insights on climate-related impacts on food insecurity.

At Sunday’s Opening General Session, thousands of public health professionals will hear from keynote speaker Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, environmental activist and member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation of Northern Alberta, Canada, who will speak about her work with Indigenous Climate Action. At Monday’s General Session, former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will discuss her efforts as head of former President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan. And during Wednesday’s Closing General Session, a host of climate change and social justice speakers will transition us from this year’s meeting theme to the 2018 theme of “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now,” as equity has been a major thread throughout APHA’s Year of Climate Change and Health.

As part of APHA’s broader efforts to further advance conversations on climate change and public health and then translate the latest research into practice, the American Journal of Public Health released a special supplement just last month. Titled “Climate Changes Health: Research, Translation, Policy and Practice,” it features an inside look at the Year of Climate Change and Health and provides the public health and scientific communities with the latest research, policies and practices to take action.

APHA is proud to be a leader in the climate and health movement. Join us as we lead the charge moving forward! To find more Annual Meeting sessions related to climate change, visit our Online Program and look for sessions marked with a bolded, capital “T” for theme-related sessions.