The following are brief descriptions of select policy statements adopted by the Governing Council on Nov. 3, 2015. For more information on any of these policy statements, email policy@apha.org.
Access to abortion as a human right— Noting continued attacks on access to reproductive health and abortions services as well as new laws intended to restrict the ability of abortion providers to practice, calls on APHA members and leaders to support the re-establishment of public funding for abortion as well as abortion coverage within Medicaid. Encourages the wider public health community to address the disproportionate impact of abortion stigma facing low-income women and women of color. Also urges public health practitioners to educate policymakers on the effects that stigmatizing abortion has on economic inequality as well as explore how public health emergency laws may be an effective tool in overriding abortion payment restrictions or invalidating regulations aimed at restricting abortion provider practices.
20153 Universal access to contraception — Noting that most countries do not recognize universal access to contraception as essential to human rights, urges all governments, health providers and funding decision-makers to ensure the right to contraception without exceptions. Calls on governments and international organizations to respect and fulfill sexual and reproductive health and rights, including steps to make contraception as well as safe, legal abortion universally available and affordable to all. Encourages health systems to address any barriers to contraception and ensure appropriate referral procedures in the case that a health care provider has a conscientious objection to providing such services. Also supports evidence-based reproductive health education for health care providers.
201510 Human benefits of alcohol disorder research — Noting that billions of dollars have been spent examining addiction and its treatment in animal models, calls on the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to declare that addressing human relevance is a priority in alcohol use disorder research and to make human relevance a priority during funding decisions. Urges the Institute to allocate more funding for human-based studies, with the focus on strategies aimed at treating and preventing alcohol use disorders, including a particular emphasis on at-risk populations. Also urges the Institute to launch a public education program on the risks of alcohol consumption and urges federal policymakers to make alcohol abuse a national research priority by endorsing research that focuses on human relevance and prevention.
201511 Pre-emptive law and public health— Noting that federal or state laws that pre-empt localities from acting on a particular issue can threaten local public health efforts, urges legislators to consider the public health impact of pre-emption and avoid overriding the ability of local governments to further public health goals. Calls on federal and state lawmakers to consult the public health science community on whether pre-emptive legislation is evidence-based and what kind of impact it would have on public health. Recommends federal and state lawmakers protect the ability of local government to take public health actions as well as engage local leaders and stakeholders during the legislative process. Also encourages public health and public policy education programs to educate students on the legalities of pre-emption.
201512 Protecting health in trade agreements — In an effort to consolidate existing APHA policies on trade and health and acknowledging the potential health and safety consequences of trade liberalization, calls on the U.S. trade representative, federal policymakers and the global public health community to ensure trade agreements prioritize public health over commercial interests. Urges all negotiating parties to make sure trade agreements do not interfere with a government’s ability to protect public health as well as to support measures that exclude tobacco and alcohol control from all agreements. Recommends negotiating parties assess the health and human rights impact of trade agreements and steer clear of creating barriers to health care services and medicine, such as limiting clinical trial data transparency.
201514 Promoting physical activity among older adults — Citing the need for environments that facilitate active aging as well as gaps in public health competencies related to older adults and physical activity, calls on public health and transportation officials to collaborate on designing active-friendly environments and creating transportation systems that support older adults in using active transit. Urges public parks and recreation departments to offer culturally and linguistically appropriate activities for older adults. Recommends health care systems and payers prioritize physical activity promotion as well as create reimbursement mechanisms for physical activity assessment and counseling. Also encourages state and local health officials to create physical activity and health units within their chronic disease prevention divisions and ensure practitioners can assist diverse populations.
201515 Health education specialists and health reform — Noting that health education specialists are especially well suited to help communities adjust to a new health care system that rewards health outcomes and disease prevention over quantity of health services rendered, calls on federal health agencies and private groups to include such specialists as a distinct occupation in workforce data collection. Urges health agencies to fund research on the role of health education specialists in improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities. Calls on the Institute of Medicine to convene a roundtable on health literacy that addresses the role of health education specialists and encourages schools of public health to include information about such specialists in their curricula.
201516 Public heath approach to human trafficking — Acknowledging the severe physical and mental health effects of human trafficking, calls on all health professional schools, societies and certifying bodies to incorporate human trafficking into their curricula and enact policies on the involvement of health care workers in identifying trafficked people in clinical settings. Encourages state and federal governments and private groups to fund research on the incidence and prevalence of human trafficking as well as on the best methods for trafficking prevention and intervention. Also recommends governments and private organizations fund research on the physical and mental health impacts of human trafficking, including the effects on women, girls, men, boys, transgender people, men who have sex with men, unaccompanied minors and youth in child protective services.
APHA policies are available in full on APHA's website.