In the first week of April, the American Public Health Association (APHA) hopes to transform the way you think about public health.
April 7-13 is National Public Health Week. The focus will be on the new world of health care delivery where everyone is responsible for the health of the public, including community leaders, business leaders, and policymakers. The role of public health professionals is to protect communities from disease and injury and encourage Americans to live safe, healthy lives.(1) There are a number of events taking place around the country. In Bethlehem Pa., there is a class on Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting and another on Breastfeeding Support through Collaboration.(2,3) This year’s event features five new daily themes, including: • Monday, April 7: “Be healthy from the start,” focusing on health at home; • Tuesday, April 8: “Don’t panic,” focusing on emergency preparedness; • Wednesday, April 9: “Get out ahead,” focusing on prevention; • Thursday, April 10: “Eat well,” focusing on nutrition; and • Friday, April 11: “Be the healthiest nation in one generation,” focusing on enabling children and young adults to have bright, healthy futures.
The week will also feature numerous events to raise the visibility of public health, including the 2014 National Public Health Week Twitter chat, which will take place on Wednesday, April 9, from 2-3 p.m. EDT. Last year’s Twitter chat featured more than 3,000 tweets from a wide variety of participants, from students to public health leaders, including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden. RSVP by joining our Twvite and use the hashtag #NPHWchat to join the conversation.(4)
There is a NPHW 2014 Partner Toolkit.(5) Section I — Overview: Includes a welcome letter from APHA; an overview of this year's theme and useful talking points; and suggested activities and related talking points for each day's theme. Section II — Event Planning: Includes in-person and online event suggestions and tips on how to plan a successful NPHW celebration. Section III — Media Outreach and Social Media Promotion: Includes tips for gaining media coverage for your NPHW event; how to prepare for an interview; sample news releases, letters to the editor and social media content; and advice on making social media work for you. Section IV — Legislative Advocacy: Includes ways to get involved in public health advocacy; advocacy resources and tools; a sample NPHW proclamation; advice on meeting with your decision-makers; and tips for town halls. Section V — Resources: Additional sources of information related to this year's NPHW theme. So, download the toolkit and plan an event! There is a wealth of information to make sure your event is seamless. There are NPHW logos, wallpaper, brochures and more!References 1. http://www.nphw.org/. 2. http://www.nphw.org/events/details/mandatory-child-abuse-reporting. 3. http://www.nphw.org/events/details/breastfeeding-support-through-collaboration. 4. http://twtvite.com/wjtpff64i1flg8e. 5. http://www.nphw.org/tools-and-tips/toolkit.
