The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #74914

Frank Lostumbo, XYZ, 10615 Great Arbor Drive, Potomac, MD 20854, 202, lostumbo@erols.com

Purpose: The presentation will provide reflections on the history of international health within APHA and other organizations in order to build on past experiences to stimulate discussion about APHA’s future role in global health.

Background: The American Public Health Association (APHA) was founded in 1872 and broadened its membership to individual s from other countries in 1884 with the interest of sharing information and scholarship throughout the public health community. APHA passed a resolution on international health in 1955 that stated improvement of health throughout the world is a necessary part of the social and economic conditions required for lasting peace. However, the APHA role in international health really began in 1959 with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation that supported four distinguished professors from Ghana, India, Japan and the Soviet Union to attend and address the 87th Annual Meeting. APHA then embarked on a major commitment to strengthening national associations of public health throughout the world and facilitated the establishment of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) in 1967. APHA has invested in strengthening capacity of partner public health associations in developing countries for over four decades and many countries are now in the process of becoming more active on public health issues both nationally and internationally. This provides an excellent network that can be utilized to mobilize a force for global action and advocacy on public health issues.

The presentation will examine APHA’s international activities, key international health visionaries, the founding of the International Health Section, and links and commonalities with the National Council for International Health.

Learning Objectives:

• (i) To educate attendees about APHA history, key visionaries and the association’s experience in global health, and (ii) to provide some lessons from history to stimulate a more active APHA international program in collaboration with other public health associations around the world.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.