A collaborative movement for COVID-19 management and long-term disease prevention

APHA is building and leading a national movement to protect against future pandemics and disease outbreaks.

Our nation is experiencing challenges that undermine every aspect of our pandemic response:

• Newly emerging, easily spread virus with grave and unpredictable health consequences
• Inadequate public health coordination and investment
• Rampant misinformation about COVID-19 and successful strategies to address it
• Lack of public trust and understanding and shared norms
• Disproportionate pandemic impact and resource allocation

The national alliance will especially work to help low-income communities of color experiencing the heaviest pandemic burden and provide direct support via resources, technical assistance and field-tested best practices. APHA will be a connector between Alliance partners and take a lead role in communicating with the public.

The Approach

The Alliance will bring together public health organizations, business groups, non-profits, philanthropies and individuals to:

• Inform and align efforts, share lessons and innovations and amplify clear and effective public communication.
• Use trusted messengers, including business and community leaders, to empower the public with guidance, promote prevention-supporting norms and help recruit contact tracers.
• Engage private sector partners and funders in COVID-19 prevention efforts, including strengthening public health infrastructure.
• Advocate collectively for supportive public policies and to strengthen the public health infrastructure and future ability to respond to public health threats.

Outcomes

• Empower the public and the private sector to participate in COVID-19 and public health efforts, acting with purpose and confidence, resulting in improved public norms.
• Create strategic cohesion and civic engagement by partners and communities around public health, prevention and equity.
• Increase public health system investment from the national to local levels.
• Recruit champions to advocate for public health.