National Public Health Week kicked off nationwide on April 7.

Among the many events held across the country was APHA's Celebrating 30 Years of National Public Health Week,” forum, which acknowledged public health successes over the decades and explored today’s challenges.

The event, held at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., marked the first time since the pre-pandemic years that an APHA NPHW forum was held before a live audience. Lynne Goldman, MD, MPH, dean of the university’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, set the tone for the panel discussion by placing in perspective the breadth of public health.

“Today is a reminder that public health is not just a discipline,” Goldman said. “It is a movement. A movement driven by science, by excellence in practice and by the conviction that every person deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life.”

In the face of mounting public health challenges, Goldman emphasized the importance of community, innovation and courage to foster change.

U.S. public health has been a target for both misinformation and politics.

“The digital landscape, while offering unparalleled access to knowledge, also serves as a conduit for misinformation, posing significant threats to public health,” APHA President Deanna Wathington, MD, MPH, FAAFP, said during the forum.

Joel Bervell, MD, MS, a science communicator who works to debunk misinformation in the medical and public health fields, stressed not only the importance of public health researchers identifying misinformation, but also empowering people to spot falsehoods.

“Today it’s become even more difficult” to separate fact from fiction, Bervell said. “We have people at the highest level of government that are unfortunately spreading fiction when we know the facts.”

Be sure to watch the other APHA events this week, and also check out Wednesday’s NPHW Chat on Bluesky.

Tuesday, 2-3 p.m. ET, “Protecting the Public’s Health: Safeguarding Rights for People with Disabilities”

Wednesday, 2-3 p.m. ET, Bluesky Chat; 4-5 p.m. ET, “The Future of Public Health: Voices from the Next Generation”

Thursday, 3-4 p.m. ET, “Power in Partnership: Advocacy for a Healthier Future”; 5:30-8:30 p.m. ET, Trivia Night

Friday, 2-3 p.m. ET, “Building Resilience to Climate Trauma: A Public Health Approach to Mental Well-Being”

On Wednesday, April 9, APHA will hold a webinar 4-5 p.m. on strengthening the public health workforce. Panelists will talk about key workforce trends, examining strengths, challenges and critical gaps.

APHA’s Keep It Moving Challenge continues through NPHW, with thousands of people nationwide getting active.

  — Sedise Tiruneh is a reporter intern for The Nation's Health and publichealthnewswire.org.

Photo caption: Joel Bervell, MD, MS, speaks at Monday's event. (Screenshot courtesy The Nation's Health)