San Antonio's River Walk offers restaurants, stores, boat rides and more.
Photo courtesy Visit San Antonio
Excitement is building for APHA's Annual Meeting in the “lone star” state this fall.
This year's premier public health event is returning to Texas for the first time in four decades, as San Antonio — known for its rich heritage, vibrant culture and renowned food scene — prepares to welcome over 11,000 public health professionals for four days.
“Visitors can expect a remarkable environment where high-tech functionality meets Southern hospitality,” Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, MPA, director of Convention and Sports Facilities for the City of San Antonio, told The Nation's Health.
APHA's 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo will be held Nov. 1-4 in downtown San Antonio. The location offers attendees easy access to a wide range of cultural and dining options within walking distance. Designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, San Antonio is known for its Tex-Mex cuisine.
APHA CEO Georges Benjamin has a personal connection to this year's host city, having lived in the San Antonio area for three years during his residency program at Brooke Army Medical Center. He said he is looking forward to sharing the city with public health supporters.
“I want people to come, have a good time and learn as much as they can,” Benjamin, MD, told The Nation's Health.
While APHA 2026 will be filled with educational and learning events — organized around the theme of “Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan” — there will be time for exploring after hours. Attendees can check out the city's cultural landmarks, including the San Antonio River Walk, Alamo, San Fernando Cathedral and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower.
The city's cultural diversity makes it a world-class meeting destination and a model for community-centered public health, APHA Executive Board Member Claude Jacob, DrPH, MPH, director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, told The Nation's Health.
“The same spirit that draws organizations to our iconic River Walk and award-winning convention facilities drives our approach to health — meeting people where they are, building strong partnerships and addressing the social factors that shape well-being,” Jacob said.
Photo by RudyBalasko, courtesy iStockphoto
Nearly two-thirds of San Antonio's 1.5 million residents identify as Hispanic. That makes the city an important place to practice and study public health, said Jason Rosenfeld, DrPH, MPH, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and director of Global Health Education at UT Health.
“San Antonio — and the state of Texas writ large — is at the forefront of the shifting demographics the U.S. is facing,” Rosenfeld told The Nation's Health. “As a result, we're innovating in that space with healthcare and public health delivery.”
Holding APHA's meeting in San Antonio gives public health professionals an opportunity to see how systems are adapting to meet community needs, even amid challenging political and social environments, he said.
“If we ignore and potentially don't explore what our partners and colleagues are doing in some of the more difficult and complicated social and political states, then I think we're putting ourselves into disservice,” said Rosenfeld, the president-elect and Executive Committee and Governing Council member at the Texas Public Health Association.
In spite of differences, public health should remain present, open and ready to engage, Benjamin said.
“We need to approach those conversations with an open mind and bring our public health perspective so we can share and exchange ideas,” he said.
To register for the Annual Meeting, reserve housing and learn more, visit www.apha.org/annualmeeting. Participants who register by July 14 can save up to $115.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
