APHA celebrates Public Health Thank You Day

The American Public Health Association celebrates Public Health Thank You Day today with appreciation to the thousands of professionals who work tirelessly on our behalf.

Improving the public’s health is not an impossible quest. It requires a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week commitment to safer, healthier and stronger communities. It is about people who devote their knowledge, time and talent to health promotion, disease prevention and ensuring access to care. They do this with the goal of achieving health equity and the best possible health for all.

APHA stands with Research!America and other organizations this Monday before Thanksgiving to salute the public health professionals, who impact our lives in countless ways, from treating and preventing disease outbreaks to preparing us for natural disasters, to ensuring everyone has access to quality, affordable care.

Day after day, year after year, public health professionals are going above and beyond to keep our communities safe, protecting us from disease, injury and other health threats. In 2020, the year of COVID-19, the most dangerous pandemic in a century, their work resonates each day, and many of these heroes have sacrificed their own lives.

To the public health workforce, thank you not only for what you do, but for the passion, empathy and inclusiveness you bring to this effort, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank you for your extraordinary efforts on our behalf.

Somehow, it doesn’t seem like enough, because mere words can only reflect what’s in our hearts. So, let’s shout it out again: Thank you, public health!