APHA Annual Meeting session preview: Water and equity

Today’s guest blogger is Surili Sutaria Patel, deputy director of APHA’s Center for Public Health Policy.

Safe, accessible water and sanitation are basic necessities that we all need to achieve good health. Yet, many communities in the U.S. lack dependable access to these fundamentals, making them especially vulnerable to serious health problems such as neurological disorders, gastrointestinal disease, decreased fertility and cancer. 

Such issues will be at the forefront of discussion during “Water and Health Equity,” session 4007, one of hundreds of scientific sessions at the upcoming APHA Annual Meeting and Expo, Nov. 2-6, in Philadelphia. 

During the water and equity session — which takes place Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 8:30 a.m. — panelists will discuss the intersections between access to safe water and environmental justice, as well as share insights from cross-sector efforts led by the Clean Water for All Coalition and the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative. 

People not only need clean drinking water to survive, they also depend on clean water for recreation, bathing, cooking and cleaning. However, many of our most vulnerable populations — such as children, older adults, communities of color and low-income populations — bear a disproportionate burden of water-related health issues, and our nation’s aging water infrastructure is unable to meet the needs of all people and communities. 

Among the many issues we face in sustaining and expanding access to safe water:

• a lack of coordination between parties responsible for water treatment;
• out-of-date or inadequate policies and regulations to ensure water safety;
• limited funding devoted to water infrastructure; and
• ongoing challenges with workforce development and retention.

In addition, there are major pockets of the country that currently rely on unregulated waters as their primary sources of drinking water, food cultivation and preparation.

During the “Water and Health Equity” session, attendees will hear more about these challenges and much more, including issues related to climate change and drinking water contamination. Most notably, the audience will get to learn about about water affordability programs taking place today in Philadelphia – our host city for this year’s Annual Meeting. 

We hope to see you at this exciting session organized by APHA’s Center for Public Health Policy. Until then, check out APHA’s new fact sheet on Creating the Healthiest Nation: Water and Health Equity.