The Peace Caucus was founded in 1985 to educate and engage the influential voice of public health professionals in efforts to promote peace. Through outreach and educational activities, we center peace and social justice as key determinants of the health of individuals and communities across the globe. War, an entirely human-made enterprise, has profound public health consequences and is an entirely preventable source of some of the world’s worst public health catastrophes. With more than 100 active armed conflicts globally, public health must prioritize peace.

We seek abstracts that focus broadly on the health consequences of war, violence and conflict, and on activities and solutions related to their prevention. We are particularly interested in analyses that offer strategic solutions or examples of successful public health interventions.

We welcome abstracts with up to 350 words that will advance the uptake of APHA’s 2009 policy “The Role of Public Health Practitioners, Academics, and Advocates in Relation to Armed Conflict and War” within and beyond APHA, as well as abstracts related to the 2026 APHA Conference theme "Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan."

We encourage co-sponsorship and participation in planning of these sessions by other sections, Special Primary Interest Groups, and caucuses, as well as by new professionals and students. We are seeking oral presentations, round tables, and films to be included in the convention film festival. We are unfortunately not allocated any poster session time slots.

Sessions will be developed from the submissions as well as invited speakers, so do not be completely constrained by these titles.

Please feel free to contact Co-Program Planners Patrice Sutton at psutton2000@yahoo.com, Naseem Parsa at nparsa2@uic.edu, and Elise Pohl at elise-pohl@uiowa.edu if you would like to discuss your ideas prior to submission.

Sessions will be developed from the submissions as well as invited speakers, so do not be completely constrained by these titles.

Broad categories of potential sessions include:

• Conflict, climate change and displacement
  This topic explores the intersection between militarism, war and conflict, climate change, migration and displacement, and how these factors exacerbate health inequities and injustices and political instabilities.
• Health effects of nuclear weapons
  This topic explores the immediate, long-term and intergenerational health consequences of nuclear weapons. This can include radiation exposure, environmental damage, mental health impacts, and implications for global public health preparedness and prevention.
• Medical peace work: health professionals as agents of conflict prevention and healing
  This topic explores the role of healthcare workers in preventing violence, promoting peace, and supporting healing in conflict and post-conflict settings through advocacy, ethical practice, and strengthening the health system.
• Rebuilding after war: strengthening the infrastructure for peace
  This topic explores post-conflict reconstruction of communities and societies, highlighting how external actors contribute to or complicate rebuilding efforts of social, political and health infrastructure.
• Rethinking the U.S. defense budget
  This topic explores U.S. and global defense spending and efforts to shift spending towards addressing other pressing issues affecting the U.S. and international health, including our climate emergency. This topic also includes spending on the technologies of war, such as drones and AI, and how U.S. academic institutions are engaged in developing the technologies of war.
• The costs of war for veterans
  This topic explores the physical, mental, social, and moral injuries experienced by veterans. Examples may include acute or chronic injury or illness, social reintegration and mental health outcomes, housing and employment issues, healthcare equity and access.
• The “war” on drugs: militarization, health harms, and U.S. violence in Central and South America
  This topic explores how militarized drug policies and U.S. intervention have accelerated violence, displacement, and health harms in Central and South America, while undermining public health-centered approaches to drug use and trade.
• War as a public health crisis
  This topic explores the domestic and international harms of war and conflict on physical, mental and environmental health, including social and structural determinants of health, across the lifespan of individuals and across generations. This topic includes, but is not limited to, the effects of war on women, children and other civilian and vulnerable populations, soldiers, communities, and healthcare workers and infrastructure, the planning of war, and gender-based violence.

Questions? 

We welcome your questions prior to the abstract deadline. Please do not hesitate to contact us to answer your questions, discuss your ideas and suggestions, and help you submit an abstract. 

Continuing Education Credit

APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. Please complete all required information when submitting an abstract so members can claim credit for attending your session. These credits are necessary for members to keep their licenses and credentials. For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter, panelist, and/or discussant must provide:

1) an abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names

2) at least one MEASURABLE SINGLE outcome ("to understand" or "to learn" are not measurable outcomes and compound outcomes are not acceptable). Use only the following Measurable Action Verbs:

  *   Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.

3) A signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure form with a relevant qualification statement

  *   Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement: (I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV prevention and co-occurring mental and drug use disorders. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for preventing HIV and STDs in out-of-treatment drug users.) Please note that I am the Principal Investigator of this study is NOT an acceptable qualification statement.

4) All continuing education learning content must be of sound scientific or professional practice and serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills and professional competence of the health professional. Learning content should be evidence-based if available. A list of over 30 areas will be provided online for you to choose from. You will be asked to choose at least one or up to 6 areas that your presentation will address.

  *   Thank you for your assistance in making your session credit worthy. For general inquiries regarding continuing education credit and/or conflict of interest statements, contact Education@apha.org.

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Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Elise Pohl,
elise-pohl@uiowa.edu


and

Patrice Sutton,
psutton2000@yahoo.com


and

Naseem Parsa, MPH/MBA
nparsa2@uic.edu


and

Ayeh Khalil, MPH
ayeh.khalil@outlook.com