APHA 2026 attendees will gain valuable public health insights from an all-star lineup of public health speakers in San Antonio this fall.
To be held Nov. 1-4, APHA's 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo will include influential leaders in the public health field, including experts from organizations, agencies, universities and more that are making waves and leading the way in public health.
Among those is Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, a globally renowned health policy strategist, bioethicist and oncologist, who will headline the meeting's opening on Sunday, Nov. 1. From helping to draft the Affordable Care Act nearly two decades ago to advising the World Health Organization on public health guidelines today, Emanuel has been lauded for his work to shape equitable policy. His work to promote evidence-based wellness and healthy aging focused on social connection has drawn global attention.
In keeping with the meeting's focus on health throughout life, Emanuel will be joined onstage by Linda Fried, MD, MPH, one of world's foremost leaders in public health and geriatrics. Fried's work on aging — which she views as not an inevitable decline, but as a period of potential health and societal contribution — has opened the door to new science and policy.
“Public health science has now shown that population-based and community-delivered prevention and health promotion can prevent the majority of ill health across the life course,” Fried told The Nation's Health. “The opportunity now is to set this as a public health goal for this century.”
With U.S. life expectancy lagging behind most high-income nations, targeting lifelong health is critical. Claudia Fegan, MD, FACP, who testified before Congress in December on the public health implications of rising medical and insurance costs, will be speaking at a Monday, Nov. 2, session that will explore universal health coverage.
“Without coverage, many delay seeking care,” Fegan, a former chief medical officer of Cook County Health in greater Chicago, told The Nation's Health. “With universal healthcare, there would be no need to delay care or assessments until coverage begins. We would be a healthier and happier nation as a result.”
Philip Huang, MD, MPH, director and health authority of the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, will highlight another hot topic in a Wednesday, Nov. 4, session — the growing use of AI in public health work.
In Dallas, Huang's department is using AI to modernize disease surveillance, improve public health demographics data on county population and create a centralized data health system. Huang said he is looking forward to hearing about other cutting edge public health ideas he can bring back to his team.
Moderating the meeting's closing session is Debra Houry, MD, MPH, a former longtime leader at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Houry last served as the agency's chief medical officer before resigning under protest of Trump administration decisions. She will lead a Wednesday discussion with leaders of four state health departments on rebuilding the public health system to meet the changing needs of the nation.
The full schedule of meeting speakers is available now in the APHA 2026 online program. For more information, visit www.apha.org/annualmeeting.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
