Public health advocacy is the organized effort to educate decision makers and the public on health topics and issues, and to shape the conditions that keep communities safe and healthy. Advocacy exists on a continuum, from broad civic engagement all the way to direct lobbying of legislators. All lobbying is advocacy, but not all advocacy is lobbying.
As the voice of public health in Iowa, Iowa Public Health Association works across that entire continuum. We facilitate members’ public health advocacy around a range of topics at the local, state, and national levels. IPHA keeps members in-the-know with state-level legislative updates, provides standalone and collaborative position statements, and provides members with a forum for policy and advocacy work through the IPHA Advocacy Committee.
The IPHA Advocacy Committee creates an annual legislative agenda, and plans a number of advocacy events each year including our popular Legislative Forum, Day on the Hill, and others.