Value of APHA policy papers in progressive public health advocacy

Purpose: We will make a case in this session for the value of drafting and forwarding APHA policy proposals and resolutions for adoption by the APHA governing board. We will discuss two examples of how APHA position papers have been leveraged for advocacy purposes. We will also point out the identified gaps in APHA policy to entice participants to contribute policy proposals of their own.

The presentation: The International Health section has an explicit strategy to advance APHA position papers on our policy priorities. We will share our proactive approach to this effort, as exemplified by the 2009 policy on war and public health, including identifying topics, seeking authors, soliciting support from other sections, refining proposals, and shepherding our policies through the hearing, revision and adoption process. A second example will highlight the strategic use of adopted APHA policies to support advocacy activities, as illustrated by our efforts in 2009 to engage APHA lobbyist staff to block proposed federal legislation that would have undermined a 2006 APHA policy related to global health workforce. We will also discuss lessons learned from our failed efforts to pass policies via APHA.

Implications: We hope to encourage APHA members to participate in drafting policy proposals, but also to explore existing policies and leverage them to advance an advocacy agenda.