Watch: CDC’s Frieden discusses how we become the healthiest nation

“We have to make sure that every child grows up able to reach their full potential.”

That inspiring call to action comes from Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaking at the 2016 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo in October. Frieden was among a number of public health leaders and luminaries who spoke to APHA TV during the Denver meeting, commenting on topics ranging from climate change to the social determinants to public health preparedness.

Throughout the five-day meeting, APHA TV episodes broadcast inside the Colorado Convention Center, in select hotels and on APHA’s website and YouTube channel. Thankfully, the episodes don’t go away when the Annual Meeting comes to a close — in fact, they’re available right now to watch, share and post to your social media pages. They’re an especially handy way to re-experience — even in the tiniest way — that invigorating feeling of being surrounded by thousands of public health practitioners who are also trying to make the world a better place.

In this video, Frieden discusses the importance of making the healthy choice the default choice. He also touches on one of the most pressing issues facing public health today: the opioid abuse and overdose epidemic that’s been sweeping across the country. On his role at CDC, Frieden tells APHA TV that one of his top priorities has been making the agency stronger and more effective, while also boosting public health capacity at the state, local and tribal levels — the places where he said the “rubber hits the road.” He also discusses the importance of global health, the significance of affecting policy and how to make measurable impacts through efforts such as CDC’s Winnable Battles.

Watch Frieden’s APHA TV episode to hear his remarks in full. And check out all of this year’s APHA TV episodes here.

View premiere sessions from APHA 2016 with APHA Live, where you can earn up to nine continuing education credits.