The world has experienced a lot over the last 20 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of us were reminded and others were informed for the first time of the inequities that exist related to access to care.
We watch as people still risk their health and the lives of loved ones to work in an effort to feed their families. We continue to see inequitable distributions of the vaccine in our hardest-hit communities. And we have yet to know the full emotional, social, financial, and educational impact of the virus around the world.
What we do know, is that many leading organizations, like SOPHE, have kept a pulse on the pandemic and the ways public health professionals remain at the forefront of timely health education and advocacy.
This work includes –
The National Academy of Medicine’s media toolkit acknowledging the direct and indirect impact of structural racism. A
The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine’s work on addressing health equity in the area of maternal health.
The 2021 Advocacy Summit – A virtual event!
These are only a few of our partner’s efforts to change the trajectory of affordable access to care, equitable care for all populations, and healthy, as well as whole, communities.
One major way SOPHE continues to lead these efforts is by hosting its 2021 Annual Advocacy Summit.
This year’s Summit virtual event takes place October 13-14. In alignment with many of the public health initiatives during this past year, the theme is Health Education: Advancing Health Equity at Every Level.
The Summit tracks include social determinants of health and health equity; equity-focused advocacy skill-building; incorporating equity-focused advocacy in the classroom; and our new track student poster track! Read more>.
We look forward to joining hands in promoting healthy behaviors, healthy communities, and healthy environments. And we also look forward to seeing you at this year’s Advocacy Summit!
Sabrina T. Cherry, DrPH, MSPH, MTS
Advocacy and Resolutions Trustee | Assistant Professor, UNC Wilmington
