To: National Desk, Health Reporter

Contact: Sabrina Jones of the American Public Health Association, 202-777-2509, APHA Press Office (Beginning Sun., Nov. 5): Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Room 102A, 617-954-3820 or 617-954-3822 or 202-253-2147 (cell)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Pandemic flu, access to health care, emergency preparedness and health disparities are among the top concerns public health leaders will address as they gather this coming week at the American Public Health Association (APHA)'s 134th Annual Meeting and Exposition, Nov. 4-8, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), 415 Summer St.

The five-day meeting of scientific sessions, poster presentations and panel discussions is expected to draw some 13,000 public health researchers, practitioners and policy-makers from around the world. More than 3,000 scientific papers are scheduled for presentation. Meeting program and abstracts are searchable at http://www.apha.org/meetings/sessions.htm.

Press information is available at http://www.apha.org/news/annual. Final programs with session locations will be available on site at the APHA Press Office, BCEC, 102A. Journalists must display a registration badge to gain entry to sessions. Press events include:

Media Briefing: Exploring the Health Consequences of War

Public health experts and others will explore the health consequences of war, discuss recent research documenting the association between armed conflict and adverse health outcomes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, discuss health and domestic implications of war in Iraq and the role of peace building as a public health approach to preventing war. Dr. Barry Levy, public health consultant and adjunct professor, Tufts University School of Medicine, co-editor, War and Public Health; Anne Langston, technical advisor, International Rescue Committee, presentation, "Mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Impact of conflict on health"; Rosenie Thelus, presentation, "Armed conflict and its implications for HIV prevention among youth in post-war Sierra Leone"; Dr. Victor Sidel, distinguished university professor of social medicine, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, co-editor, War and Public Health; Pamela Wilson, assistant to the president, department for professional employees, AFL-CIO and chair, APHA Labor Caucus; Neema Mgana, 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominee as one of 1,000 Peacewomen Across the Globe, and founder, African Regional Youth Initiative (ARYI). Monday, Nov. 6, 11 a.m., BCEC, 101

Media Briefing: Public Health on the Ballot, Election Day 2006

With more ballot initiatives than any year since 1996 and 1914, Election Day 2006 will leave its mark not only on the balance of power, but on local policies affecting the health of citizens everyday. Public health experts will survey the Election Day landscape on initiatives from tobacco and reproductive rights to minimum wage and housing, discuss their potential impact on the public's health and consider trends and implications for national health policy. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director, APHA; Dr. Frances Stillman, associate professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, co-director, Institute for Global Tobacco Control and chair, APHA Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section; Lois Uttley, director, MergerWatch Project, chair- elect, APHA Action Board; and Dr. James Krieger, chief, epidemiology, planning and evaluation, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Wash.

Tuesday, Nov. 7 (Election Day), 10:30 a.m., BCEC, 101

During the meeting public health leaders will also debate and vote on proposed policies with wide-ranging impact for public health. Among the policies APHA's Governing Council will consider include:

-- Preparing for Pandemic Influenza: Asserts that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, not the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, should be the lead federal agency on issues related to domestic preparedness for and response to pandemic influenza, and urges increased funding to build capacity to respond to pandemic flu. Urges creation of emergency Medicaid to ensure access to appropriate countermeasures and care in the event of pandemic and outlines principles for the use of non- pharmaceutical interventions, including handwashing and "snow days."

-- Abstinence and U.S. Abstinence-Only Education Policies: Ethical and Human Rights Concerns: Urges that abstinence programs should provide adolescents with complete and accurate information about sexual health. Also encourages states to support school districts and local schools to implement abstinence education as a part of comprehensive sexuality education and as an integral part of comprehensive K-12 school health education.

-- Promote Research on the Need for and Feasibility of Over- the-Counter Oral Contraceptives: Encourages new research on the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter sales of oral contraceptives, particularly among women of color, adolescents and others at highest risk of negative health consequences.

-- A Call for a Framework Convention on Alcohol Control: Calls on the World Health Organization (WHO) to adopt and implement a binding international treaty modeled after the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a historic tobacco control treaty adopted in 2003.

-- Urgent Call for a Nationwide Public Health Infrastructure and Action to Reverse the Obesity Epidemic: Calls for the immediate mobilization of governmental, public and private agencies to coordinate actions to reverse the obesity epidemic, working toward achieving the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a means to begin reversing obesity rates.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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/© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

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