This is the Press Release offered by APHA...
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American Public Health Association Concludes 131st Annual Meeting,
  13,500 Public Health Professionals Attend

  11/19/03 3:22:00 PM

  To: National Desk, Health Reporter

  Contact: APHA Press Office, San Francisco Marriott, Pacific C
415-284-8019 through 11/19,
  or 202-777-2501 or 202-777-2510

  SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Public
Health
  Association concludes its 131st Annual Meeting here today where more than
13,500 public
  health professionals from around the world came together to share the
latest in public health
  research.

  Hundreds of scientific sessions focused on the meeting's theme,
"Behavior, Lifestyle and
  Social Determinants of Health." Half of all causes of mortality in the
United States are linked
  to individual health behaviors such as smoking, diet, sedentary
lifestyles and accidents. (emphasis added)
  Public health research and programs play an integral role in
understanding and changing
  these health behaviors.

  Hundreds more sessions dealt with a full range of other pressing public
health issues,
  including emerging infections and preparedness.

  In addition, highlights of the five-day meeting included the following
report releases:

  -- APHA, together with the United Health Foundation and Partnership for
Prevention, released
  a report ranking the healthiness of U.S. states. For more information
visit
  http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/shr.html.

  -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture released new consumer food safety
and food security
  guidelines. For more information visit
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/topics/biosecurity.htm.

  -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data on
health outcomes for
  more than 98 metropolitan areas, the data is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/brfss.

  The Association's governing body adopted more than 25 new policies
dealing with public
  health systems, environmental and occupational health, access to health
care and social
  and other health issues. Most notably, in response to what has been
perceived as
  second-guessing of the scientific peer review process, APHA passed three
policies calling for
  Congress and private interest groups to refrain from interfering in the
research efforts of
  government-sponsored scientists. APHA also passed a policy supporting
increased U.S.
  investments to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria globally.

  The Association also restated its opposition to the proposed Medicare
prescription drug
  conference agreement and called for action on covering the uninsured. The
statement is
  available at http://www.apha.org/news/press/2003/medicarebill.htm.

  The American Public Health Association represents more than 50,000
members from over 50
  public health occupations. APHA's 132nd Annual Meeting will be held in
Washington, D.C.,
  Nov. 6-10, 2004. More information is available at http://www.apha.org.

  http://www.usnewswire.com/

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