Get ready for National Public Health Week

The beginning of April marks an exciting time for advocates of healthier communities. APHA is hosting National Public Health Week, April 6-12. The event is a time to celebrate, learn and tell others about public health. Supporters join together each year to talk about important health topics such as nutrition, health care and even emergency preparedness.



This year’s theme is “Healthiest Nation 2030,” which ties into APHA’s work to make the U.S. the healthiest nation in one generation.  People in the U.S. live shorter lives than residents of many other high-income countries, face more chronic diseases and struggle with obesity. The theme encourages communities to think of ways to improve our nation’s health.



Learn about the many ways to get involved in the week of events:

• Check out the NPHW calendar to see what your local health department, universities or others in your community are planning and attend an event. 
• Attend the NPHW forum “Raising the Grade” or view the live webcast on Monday, April 6, from 1-3 p.m. ET. Health experts will discuss opportunities to create the healthiest nation.
• Talk with other public health supporters during the fifth annual Twitter chat on Wednesday, April 8, at 2 p.m. ET. Follow @NPHW on Twitter and use the hashtag #NPHWchat. RSVP to save the date.

Or plan an event in your community to share simple ways to be prepared in emergencies. The Get Ready campaign offers a wealth of free preparedness fact sheets to share at your health fair, pass out on campus or hang in your office.

Each day of NPHW has something to offer. Take a look at the weekday themes for inspiration:

• Monday, April 6: Raising the grade: The U.S. trails many other high-income countries in life expectancy and other measures of good health, and this holds true across all ages and socio-economic groups.
• Tuesday, April 7: Starting from ZIP: Today, your ZIP code says too much about your health. Within the United States, there are unacceptable disparities in health by race and ethnic group, state by state and even county by county.
• Wednesday, April 8: Building momentum: Influential leaders, companies and organizations are taking important steps in line with creating the healthiest nation.
• Thursday, April 9: Building broader connections: In the work to become the healthiest nation, we can’t do it all on our own. We have to expand our partnerships to everyone that has an impact on our health.
• Friday, April 10: Building on 20 years of success: 2015 is APHA’s 20th anniversary for coordinating National Public Health Week, and the accomplishments of the public health community over the last two decades are significant.

Get tips and tools for your NPHW events online now and share your activities via social media with the #NPHW hashtag.