Attendees enjoy an APHA 2025 event. APHA 2026 participants can save up to $115 through early-bird registration.
Photo courtesy EZ Event Photography
With APHA 2026 registration opening this month, the countdown to the year's biggest public health event has officially begun.
APHA's Annual Meeting and Expo is returning to Texas this year for the first time in more than four decades, bringing more than 12,000 researchers, educators, students and more to San Antonio.
“San Antonio is a diverse, vibrant and proudly progressive city with a deep legacy of activism and community-driven public health,” APHA CEO Georges Benjamin, MD, told The Nation's Health. “By showing up, we can stand alongside communities leading critical work, amplify their impact and raise our collective voice in a state with tremendous opportunity to advance public health.”
The Annual Meeting, which runs Nov. 1-4, is organized around the theme of “Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan.” The theme emphasizes that optimal health is built by collective action through players such as health departments, policymakers, researchers and more working in tandem with the public.
While many APHA 2026 sessions will center on the meeting's theme, the event will cover the breadth of public health, including topical issues such as federal challenges to vaccines, growing mistrust in science and funding cuts to programs such as Medicaid and food assistance. While an educational event, it also serves as an opportunity to recharge and a call to action.
“We need everyone at the table to unify public health's mission and sharpen our focus as we confront ongoing and emerging challenges,” Susan Polan, PhD, APHA's associate executive director for public affairs and advocacy, told The Nation's Health.
San Antonio, Texas, is the site of APHA's 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo.
Photo courtesy Sean Pavone, iStockphoto
More than 10,000 abstracts were submitted for APHA 2026, with about 5,000 selected for presentation. Presenters will be notified this month whether their work was chosen and can check their status online.
The Annual Meeting, which is being held in San Antonio for the first time, will be centered at the downtown Henry B. González Convention Center. The center is located along the San Antonio River Walk and next to Hemisfair Park, with numerous dining options within walking distance. Attendees can expect mild weather, based on recent years in the city, which has a long and rich history.
The area is the ancestral homeland of the Payaya, part of the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation. San Antonio was once governed by Spain, Mexico and the Republic of Texas. In 1846, it was annexed and became part of the U.S.
APHA meeting-goers with time to spare can explore some of the city's history. Given its proximity to the convention center, the San Antonio Missions — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — can be checked off bucket lists of meeting-goers. The Alamo is a five-minute walk from the convention center and the Mission Reach Trail links all five missions along the river with a scenic path.
Registration and housing for APHA 2026 open June 2, which is the same date the Annual Meeting program debuts online. Participants can begin earmarking session content and planning their schedules. Public health professionals unable to attend APHA 2026 in person can experience some of the event virtually.
Attendees can save up to $115 by taking advantage of early-bird registration. Discounts are available for students and early-career professionals. To learn more and register, visit www.apha.org/annual meeting.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
