APHA Outlines its Key Public Health Priorities

March 29, 2013- The American Public Health Association is urging President Obama during his second term to address several major issues with public-health implications including: gun-violence prevention, climate change, public health funding and implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association, outlined these four priorities:

Gun violence prevention: The APHA applauds the Obama administration for moving forward on measures to limit the toll of gun violence, such as clarifying the authority of CDC and other agencies to research gun-violence prevention, supporting efforts to keep firearms from falling into the wrong hands and improving mental health services. Congress and the administration must work together further to reduce gun-related violence.

Climate change: Climate change is an increasing and costly threat to human health. Problems include diminished air quality that leads to higher rates of respiratory illnesses to extreme weather events. APHA urges Congress and the president to ensure that CDC has resources to support state and local public health departments to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Public health funding: Public health has long been strained by funding cuts -- from immunizations and food safety to chronic disease prevention and medical research. Long-term health costs of any short-term savings will undoubtedly reverberate in public health departments across the U.S. APHA urges lawmakers to consider the value of prevention as they work to avoid sequestration and develop deficit reduction legislation. A strong, sustainable public health system is key to turning around rising chronic disease rates and related health spending.

Protecting and implementing the Affordable Care Act: The Affordable Care Act is working to address the biggest challenges facing the nation’s health today, including escalating costs, uneven quality, discriminatory health-care insurance practices, a growing uninsured population, and a shrinking primary-care workforce. In three years, the law has made progress to meet health needs through the work of Community Transformation Grants and key insurance reform and quality assurance rules. The Prevention and Public Health Fund was cut by $6.25 billion last year and remains vulnerable to additional attacks. APHA urges Congress and the president to support and defend the fund.

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