By: Ray Martin, IH Historian/Archivist
Do you know the early history of APHA’s International Health Section? You can read about it in a neat story prepared on the 25th anniversary of the 1976 founding of the section and entitled Growth of International Health: An Analysis and History. It’s on our website at
https://www.apha.org/~/media/files/pdf/topics/international_health_book.ashx
You can learn about the roles played in international health by personalities such as Al Gore and Mother Theresa. Read about a 1974 APHA editorial citing multiple surveys “indicating that Americans’ trust in government has fallen sharply with striking evidence of lost faith in the political system as well as an erosion of confidence in social institutions.” (page 8)
The first chair of the section, with 345 members, was Dr. Carl Taylor, a giant in international health. Our section’s Lifetime Achievement Award is now named after him. Membership grew rapidly and by the time of the 2003 writing of this history, IH members affirmed that “the section has provided a gateway for women into the international arena and provided valuable mentoring and guidance to many students and new entries to the field while maintaining a continuous advocacy effort for international health.” (page 16)
To see a list of elected and appointed leaders by year, visit the document below.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E7f4vIrGy0uW1nbsmdOhZ6k04fm2WIWTVgIDcnDbFDQ/edit?usp=sharing
IH CONNECT 