Alliance of Public Health Associations in the Americas: Issues and priorities for national and international actions to promote public health and health equity in our hemisphere – contributions from ABRASCO

ABRASCO is an enthusiastic partner of the APHAA since its inception, based upon the values of solidarity and community action. Our commitment started prior to the meetings in New Orleans, in November 2014, during the historic cooperation between APHA and SOCUSAP, and in Kolkata, during the 14^th World Congress on PH, of the WFPHA, in February 2015, culminating with our presence in the foundation of the Alliance in Habana, in April 2015.

The bonds with the Alliance followed during the 12^th. Brazilian Congress on Collective Health, in Goiania, in August 2015, reaching the session, during the 143th. APHA Annual Meeting, in Chicago next October 2015.

ABRASCO is conducting efforts to identify some of the issues to be a common focus of the PHA community from the Americas region. From a Brazilian lens of health inequities, the APHAA should to strengthen the participation of PHA to reach the global goal of universal health coverage, universal health access, and better PHC quality, including chronic conditions, and multi morbidity in aging people. Universal coverage should care for all acute and emergency needs, but it should also be directed to the provision of disease prevention, health promotion and wellbeing from the perspective of social determinants and health equity. Furthermore, APHAA should share the relevant experience of the PHA in Americas regarding major public health disciplines or programs, such as environmental and occupational health, field epidemiology and health surveillance, health system information, mental health, oral health, tobacco, drugs and alcohol control, injury and violence prevention, cancer, vaccines and scientific innovations.  

APHAA should also spreads the actions and experiences of the PHA in the region, promoting cooperation in priority areas of public health, such as training and continuous education of health professionals, health system assessment, research, and policymaking, gathered from Health for All to Universal Health Coverage efforts.

The activities developed by APHAA could be presented and discussed during the annual meetings of our PHA in the region and particularly at the 15th World Congress on Public Health, in Melbourne, Australia, in April 2017.