Washington, D.C. –  The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) announced today that it has adopted a Resolution Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the Professional Preparation and Development of the Health Education Workforce.

The resolution, which was passed by the SOPHE Board of Trustees in December, is a “Call for SOPHE to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the settings in which health education specialists learn, teach, work, or conduct research so that they may contribute to a healthy and inclusive society.”

This resolution by SOPHE is the latest of several since 2016 underscoring the importance of health equity and diversity as critical elements of a just society so that all people in the varied communities in which they live can maximize their health.

“Our mission is to support leaders in health education and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe,” SOPHE President Dr. Raffy R. Luquis said. “We believe strongly that this resolution directly supports this mission and reinforces our commitment to DEI.”

Through both internal actions (providing training and continuing education for health education specialists and other health professionals, educating SOPHE faculty and administrators about intentional and systematic efforts to support college/university autonomy in curriculum programs and other policies and programs, expanding and reporting tracking of DEI-related metrics in SOPHE’s current and future strategic plans, and continuing to provide financial and staff support to SOPHE’s Leaders in Equity, and Diversity Fellowship program) and external actions (advocating for federal policies and legislation and continued funding, and collaborating with other organizations), the resolution directly supports SOPHE’s mission and strategic plan.

“It further emphasizes and supports our commitment to DEI as shown in our strategic plan,” SOPHE CEO Dr. William Datema said. “It strengthens health education and promotion capacity to achieve health equity, promotes and advocates for health-equity enhancing systems and policies, and supports operational excellence to achieve the greatest public health impact possible.”

SOPHE remains dedicated to promoting and advancing the expertise and impact of health education. As a membership organization, SOPHE works with its members and partners to impact health through the skills and capacities of health education and health promotion.

For more information contact: news@sophe.org.

About SOPHE

The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a nonprofit association that supports leaders in public health, health education and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe. SOPHE members work in health care settings, communities, organizations, schools, universities, worksites, and in local, state and federal government agencies. For more information visit www.sophe.org