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About National Public Health Week
In
1995, former President William Jefferson Clinton proclaimed the
first full
week of April as National Public Health Week (NPHW). Each year
since then the public health community has focused on issues that
are important
to improving the public's health.
Each year, the
American Public Health Association (APHA) serves as the organizer
of NPHW and develops a national campaign to educate
the public, policymakers and practitioners during the week about issues
related to the theme. APHA creates comprehensive planning, organizing
and outreach materials that can be used during and after the week
to
advance the issue. In our 11th year, NPHW is being celebrated in
every state in the nation. This year, the focus of NPHW is children
and the
built environment and the tagline is “Designing Healthy Communities:
Raising Healthy Kids.” APHA and its partners will highlight
the week by inspiring Americans to build healthier communities and
healthier
kids.
History of National Public Health Week
In 1995,
former President William Jefferson Clinton proclaimed the first full
week of April as National Public Health Week (NPHW). Each year since
then the public health community has focused on issues that are important
to improving the public's health.
Each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA)
serves as the organizer of NPHW and develops a national campaign
to educate the
public, policymakers and practitioners during the week about issues
related to the theme. APHA creates comprehensive planning, organizing
and outreach materials that can be used during and after the week to
advance the issue. In our 11th year, NPHW is being celebrated in every
state in the nation. This year, the focus of NPHW is children and the
built environment and the tagline is “Designing Healthy Communities:
Raising Healthy Kids.” APHA and its partners will highlight the
week by inspiring Americans to build healthier communities and healthier
kids.
History of National Public Health Week
1988
- The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services begins celebrating
Public Health Week during the first week of April.
- The Southern California Public Health Association and many other agencies
and counties in California, along with other states throughout the
country, followed suit and began holding their own celebrations of
Public Health Week.
1993
- APHA adopts a policy resolution endorsing a national and annual celebration
of Public Health Week during the week in April
in which World Health Day occurs.
1995
- President Clinton issued a proclamation of National Public
Health Week, to be celebrated the first full week of April. In
the proclamation,
he called on federal, state, and local health agencies to work
with private organizations to celebrate NPHW to work towards building
healthier communities and build awareness of public health issues
around the
country.
- Public Health Week focused on defining public health.
APHA held a briefing on World Health Day at the culmination of
Public Health Week. The organization
received media coverage as a result of a media campaign, with
executive director Fernando Treviño profiled in the May
issue of Vista, and government relations staff interviewed by Newshouse
News Service.
Events were held across the country, in such locations as Halifax,
NC; Philadelphia, PA; and Los Angeles, CA.
1996 -- Theme: Celebrating
Success
- APHA launched a more comprehensive media campaign, conducting
a radio tour across the country during which leaders gave interviews
covering
a wide range of public health issues. Events occurred more
frequently across the country, with Arizona having 60+ events occur
during
the week.
1997 --
Theme: Public Health – An Investment in Your Future
- This year’s week coincided with outbreaks
of tuberculosis and hepatitis in the District of Columbia. Media
immediately
contacted the APHA president when the crisis arose because they
needed
an expert.
APHA president was able to give 14 radio/TV interviews because
of previous public relations efforts by APHA.
1998 --
Theme: Healthy People in Healthy Communities
- Secretary of Health and Human Services and Surgeon General spoke at
kick-off event, which premiered winners of the first national
photography contest (awards categories: photojournalists and public health
workers).
1999 --
Theme: Healthy People in Healthy Communities
- Health departments nationwide hosted open houses and health fairs to
show benefits of immunizations, water quality testing,
and prenatal care. Also, Colgate-Palmolive sponsored a successful nationwide
hand-washing
campaign during the week.
2000 --
Theme: Healthy People in Healthy Communities
- Highlights from the Week: The George Washington
University sponsored conferences in the District of Columbia focused
on topics such as mental
health, racial disparities in care, bioterrorism, violence
and Alzheimer’s
disease; Lawrence, Kansas, used a billboard on a main road to promote
Public Health Week, which spurred donations from six businesses; Iowa
observed an entire Public Health Month for the first time; Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene held a video conference on “High
Tech Health Communication: Reaching into the 21st Century.”
2001 --
Theme: Healthy People in Healthy Communities
- This year’s week educated communities about
gun violence, smoking, chronic disease, lack of insurance, and
racial and
ethnic health disparities.
2002 --
Theme: Healthy People in Healthy Communities
- In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, many activities
focused on changes in public health since 9/11, especially
bioterrorism and public health preparedness.
- Highlights from the Week: University of Alabama,
Birmingham students held a brown-bag lunch event to raise breast
cancer awareness, a screening,
a panel discussion on “Erin Brockovich;” and
a community service project to repair a home; Bakersfield,
CA, held a Health Works!
Medical Industry Job Fair where job seekers could
get interviewed by employers and trained by the
California Caregiver Trainer Initiative.
2003 --
Theme: Getting In Shape for the Future: Healthy Eating and Active Living
- This is the first year that APHA had a sizable budget
with which to promote National Public Health Week, with the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation
donating well over $100,000.
- The campaign engaged seven sponsors and 44 partners.
- This year’s week had a focus on nation's
struggle with overweight/obesity. The goal of the week was to reduce
the percent of adult
population that is obese to less than 15% by 2010.
- The media was very interested in this year’s
theme. Dr. Benjamin and the Surgeon General made a television appearance
that was popular, reaching 7.4 million viewers.
- APHA created a toolkit with media advocacy tips,
facts on overweight/obesity, talking points, and sample news releases
to help local organizations/associations.
APHA also updated its Planner’s Guide.
For the first time, there was a comprehensive
website dedicated
to National Public Health Week.
2004 --
Theme: Eliminating Health Disparities: Communities Moving from Statistics
to Solutions
- APHA diversified its funding base for NPHW. There were 13 sponsors
of NPHW 2004, with the American Legacy Foundation
and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation providing the largest contributions.
- Over 200 entities on the national, state, county and community level
partnered with APHA in NPHW 2004.
- At the kick-off town hall meeting, APHA launched an online database
of community solutions to help eliminate health
disparities.
- APHA, along with its state affiliates, organized town hall events in
San Francisco, Chicago, Memphis, and New York
City, in addition to the kick-off event in Washington, DC.
- This year’s NPHW website offered fact sheets
in both English and Spanish on health disparities, in addition
to state fact sheets targeting important Members of Congress.
- NPHW 2004 was very successful in building coalitions on the local level,
giving communities a base from which to launch advocacy efforts.
2005 --
Theme: Empowering Americans to Live Stronger, Longer
- This year focused on empowering older Americans to live stronger, longer
through practicing the three Ps: preventing,
protecting and planning.
- Over 250 partners on the national, state, county and community level
partnered with the APHA in 2005.
- More than 500 events were held across the nation.
- The Living to 100 assessment tool received 75,000 visits the week of
and after NPHW.
- The web site offered fact sheets in both English and Spanish on healthy
aging, in addition to state fact sheets for
all 50 states.
- APHA released a survey on “How Health Conscious
are People 55 and Older?”
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