APHA’s 52 affiliates are working to protect the health and safety of people who live in their states through advocacy.
Photo by Alvarez, courtesy iStockphoto
When a bill threatening to cut Medicaid benefits for vulnerable residents quickly advanced through the Utah Legislature in 2024, the Utah Public Health Association and a coalition of public health advocates sprung into action.
“We already had a base from which to draw members…from the coalition,” UPHA Executive Director Carrie Butler, MPH, MPP told The Nation’s Health. “When the bill came up, we already knew exactly who to contact.”
The swift coordination was successful in halting the bill’s progress, safeguarding essential Medicaid services in the state.
Utah was one of over 90% of APHA-affiliated state and regional public health associations that actively engaged in advocacy efforts last year, according to an annual report published by APHA.
“APHA Affiliates are consistently and increasingly stepping up to advocate for improved health in their states,” Michelle Loosli, MS, APHA director of Affiliate affairs, told The Nation’s Health. “They play a crucial role in advancing public health.”
APHA’s 52 affiliated associations serve as vital watchdogs in protecting public health from potentially harmful legislation and policies. Nearly 95% of Affiliates monitored state public health-related legislation and 84% of Affiliates monitored public health-related regulations or administrative activities in the state, according to the report. Public health funding and workforce infrastructure, strengthening the role of public health and health equity were the top three priorities for Affiliates last year.
The New York State Public Health Association leaned on strategic messaging to educate lawmakers on the importance of public health when program funding was at risk during New York state’s 2024 budget negotiations.
NYSPHA, alongside partnered organizations, held advocacy days, shared social media posts and sent out action alerts to inform lawmakers. Thanks to their advocacy, New York state’s public health programs retained full funding for the fiscal year.
“I think the key is really knowing what the members want and then finding ways to engage them that excite them,” NYSPHA President Brett Harris, DrPH, told The Nation’s Health.
The work of Affiliates remains more important than ever, as public health faces challenges across the nation, including potential cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, challenges to community water fluoridation, the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases, and attacks on gender-affirming care. Affiliates are well into their advocacy work for 2025. Priorities include climate change, public health authority, reproductive health care, the public health workforce and tribal sovereignty.
For more information on APHA’s Affiliates, visit www.apha.org.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
