“APHA’s history is the history of public health — the two are inextricably woven together,” Benjamin said. “We’re looking forward to sharing our collective history and the path we’ve forged together.”
— Georges Benjamin
About 10,000 public health practitioners are expected at APHA 2022, which will run Nov. 6-9 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. In recognition of APHA’s sesquicentennial, attendees will rally around a theme of “150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity.” The meeting’s program offers hundreds of timely oral and poster sessions that cover the spectrum of public health practice, from aging to Zika.
“This year’s Annual Meeting is a time to celebrate and learn from our past, but also plan and prepare for a new, healthier future,” APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, told The Nation’s Health.
APHA 2022 officially kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 6, with the meeting’s opening session, “APHA at 150: Celebrating the Past and Inventing the Future.” The Rev. William Barber II, a minister, activist and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, will speak about mobilizing in support of underserved and marginalized people. An energetic speaker renowned for rallying people for action, social justice and equity, Barber’s appearance at the event is already creating a buzz among Annual Meeting registrants.
APHA 2021 attendees interact at the Public Health Expo.
Photo by Michele Late
“I’m very excited to hear from Rev. Barber,” incoming APHA president-elect Chris Chanyasulkit, PhD, MPH, an adjunct assistant professor at Temple University College of Public Health in Philadelphia, told The Nation’s Health. “It’ll be one of those moments that will lift you up and keep you going in the work we do.”
Many of this year’s Annual Meeting featured sessions — which highlight urgent, cross-cutting public health issues — will follow Barber’s lead, with a focus on equity, justice and advocacy. Topics will include the effect of recent Supreme Court decisions on public health, the state of reproductive health rights and the impact of war on health.
Also on Sunday, physician and former Detroit health commissioner Abdul El-Sayed, MD, DPhil, will host a live taping of his popular “America Dissected” podcast during a session on disinformation and disparities. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating an episode of the much-lauded podcast, which examines how science, policy and culture shape health.
Chanyasulkit said she is especially looking forward to hearing from reproductive rights leaders at APHA 2022, given the fall of Roe v. Wade and erosion of access to reproductive health care in many states. She said she has earmarked a Tuesday, Nov. 8, “lunch and learn” session with staff from the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts’ new ASPIRE Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health on her schedule.
APHA President Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, told The Nation’s Health she is also eager to hear and talk about reproductive rights while at APHA 2022. Bender, who is executive director of the Mississippi Public Health Association, said she hopes to connect with peers from other states on how to protect public health in the face of hostile political climates. “The meeting is a chance to have conversations about the hard work that we have in front of us to help restore these rights,” she said.
The meeting’s closing session on Wednesday, Nov. 9, will center on dismantling inequities as well. The session will highlight how to apply the Public Health Code of Ethics and other ethical frameworks to address social determinants of health and look toward the future of public health.
APHA’s 150-year anniversary will be a running theme throughout the four days in Boston. Among the highlights is Monday’s general session on Nov. 7, “150 Years of Public Health History.” Mike Stobbe, DrPH, an Associated Press journalist, will moderate the evening session, where speakers will explore the nation’s public health achievements and challenges over the decades.
Anniversary-themed displays will be positioned throughout the Boston convention center. An engaging, interactive exhibit in the convention center’s north lobby will share both history and APHA mementos, including some on loan from long-time members.
“APHA’s history is the history of public health — the two are inextricably woven together. We’re looking forward to sharing our collective history and the path we’ve forged.” — Georges Benjamin
Of course, no anniversary is complete without a celebration. All Annual Meeting registrants are invited to APHA’s 150th Anniversary Party on Sunday night, Nov. 6, with complimentary food and entertainment.
Beyond sessions and celebrations, APHA 2022 will have myriad opportunities to network, socialize and take in professional development. Meeting participants can earn continuing education credits by attending and evaluating scientific sessions. APHA’s Learning Institute courses — held Saturday, Nov. 5, and Sunday, Nov. 6 — are also eligible for continuing education credits.
New to this year’s Annual Meeting are Coffee Talks — short, informal conversations about hot issues in public health. Coffee Talks will feature topics such as climate change, environmental health, worker safety and health promotion. The meeting’s featured sessions will also end with short Coffee Talks, giving attendees a chance to talk with presenters.
Also new at APHA 2022 is the Leadership Lab, a series of collaborative professional development sessions focused on business, leadership and management concepts. Leadership Lab sessions, which take place Sunday through Tuesday inside the Public Health Expo, will cover topics such as the art of negotiation, strategies for advancing equity, and using social media for change.
For hands-on learning, APHA’s Social Media Lab is back with daily presentations and free one-on-one coaching sessions. The lab will be open Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 7-9. After visiting the Social Media Lab, attendees can test out their skills at the annual Sunset Tweet-up on Monday evening, when practitioners nationwide get together to tweet about public health.
APHA’s Student Assembly is also back with its yearly National Student Meeting, which will convene at the Boston convention center on Saturday, Nov. 5. The daylong meeting features panel discussions with public health leaders. Registration for the special student event is open on the main APHA Annual Meeting site.
Haley Moss, MPH, chair of the Student Assembly, said she is looking forward to attending scientific sessions about public health education, which intersects with her research as an MD student at the University of California-San Diego. But she is most excited to reconnect with fellow public health students.
“This is the one time of year that we get to be together and be a community,” Moss said. “Meeting with other students is definitely my favorite part.”
In between sessions and business meetings, students can hear their peers present their own research at the Emerging Scholars Symposium inside the Public Health Expo. The symposium, which runs Sunday through Tuesday, showcases cutting-edge research from public health students, from work on coping with grief during the pandemic to disparities in telemedicine use.
The expo, which opens Sunday and runs through Tuesday, will host hundreds of exhibitors, including schools of public health, book publishers and nonprofits.
To help keep people safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, APHA 2022 participants and event staff will be required to wear masks and show proof of vaccination.
Following the Annual Meeting, attendees can access a digital version of the meeting — which will include oral, general and featured sessions from Boston — on Nov. 14-16. Registration for the digital meeting is open to all.
For more information on APHA 2022, visit www.apha.org/annualmeeting.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
