Membership in a professional organization is valuable to public health professionals at any career stage. Many professional organizations offer advocacy, networking opportunities, and conferences. Members may also have access to publications, job boards, and continuing education opportunities. Below are the most active professional organizations in the field. There are several professional public health associations whose membership is open to Nigerians and non-Nigerians.
Association of Public Health Professionals of Nigeria
APHPN is a professional association made up of disciplinary Public Health/Community Health Physicians in Nigeria, holding various positions in the LGAs, state ministries, federal ministries, parastatals, universities, teaching hospitals, international agencies, NGOs, research institutes, and private medical practice. The Association is open to all registered Medical and Dental Practitioners in Nigeria with a recognized postgraduate qualification in Public Health or Community Medicine. In addition, Medical Officers of Health (MOH) in the local government areas are members of the association. Email: info@aphpn.org
Website: www.aphpn.org/
American Public Health Association
Membership of the American Public Health Association (APHA) is also open to Nigerians. The association offers a variety of services for members, including access to publications, advocacy, professional development opportunities, and discussions of salient public health issues, such as gun violence and climate change. APHA’s membership categories represent the professional stages of a person’s career. All categories receive APHA’s core benefits, including award-winning publications, networking opportunities, and career services. As an APHA member, you Connect with your peers by getting involved in your two free Sections/Special Primary Interest Groups, attending APHA’s Annual Meeting and Expo for the greatly discounted member rate, and saving big on APHA Live, get to be present at the Annual Meeting or become an abstract reviewer.
You will also enjoy full access to the latest public health news and research through the peer-reviewed monthly American Journal of Public Health, receive the latest public health news and advocacy alerts through member-only newsletters, Inside Public Health and Legislative Updates, and save up to 50% on Continuing Education activities. Website: https://www.apha.org/
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH)
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is one of the global public health associations with a good number of Nigerian members, it is an independent, multi-disciplinary charity dedicated to the improvement of the public’s health. RSPH helps inform policy and practice, working to educate, empower and support communities and individuals to live healthily. Membership of the Royal Society for Public Health is open to anyone working in public health or the wider health sector, those studying for a public health-related degree (or equivalent), or individuals with a lifelong interest in improving the public’s health and in supporting public health initiatives in the United Kingdom and around the world. As a globally recognized mark, RSPH Membership not only demonstrates both your commitment and engagement with the sector, it also delivers tangible benefits.
Website: https://www.rsph.org.uk/
The Society For Public Health Professionals Of Nigeria
This is an amalgamation of all public health organizations in Nigeria facilitated by the Institute of Public Health and the Population and Reproductive Health Programme (PRHP), with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Institute of Population and Reproductive Health. The disciplinary groups which merged to form this national body were; Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Association of Medical Officers of Health in Nigeria (AMOHN), Nigeria School Health Education Association (NSHEA), Epidemiological Society of Nigeria (EPISON), Society of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (SOSEH), Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria, Nigeria Association for Health Educators, Reproductive Health Caucus/Forum of the Federal Ministry of Health (RHC/FMOH), Society for Adolescent and Young People’s Health in Nigeria (SAYPHIN), Professional Association of Public Health Nurses of Nigeria (PAPHNON) and the Institute of Public Health (IPH).
Website: http://www.sphpn.org
African Institute of Public Health Professionals (AIPHP)
The African Institute of Public Health Professionals (AIPHP) based in Ghana focuses on preventable diseases through the institution of the right culture of hygiene, sensitization programme, procurement, and administration of vaccines all done at the right time by trained professionals operating in the right environment. Their vision is to reduce the health burden to the barest minimum across the continent of Africa by building a strong network of seasoned public health professionals all over Africa through researches, continued training and retraining, workshops, symposia, seminars, conferences, sensitizations campaigns, and collaborations, thereby creating healthy generations.
Website: https://aiphp.org
West African Academy of Public Health (WAAPH)
The West African Academy of Public Health (WAAPH) is a nonstate regional health development organization (RHDO) for improving public health education, practice, and programme implementation through high-impact research, training, mentoring, and practice. It also works to increase public health literacy and critical return on investment in the sector through strengthened health systems, especially with the fragile systems in the sub-region. The Academy is therefore innovation-driven, working in the field of public health to support governments and partners such as the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), to create dynamic, equitable, integrated, decentralized, and participatory health systems within a just and empowered society in the spirit of Universal Access to Health. It is strongly interested in partnerships with your organization and all actors interested in the health and wellbeing of West Africa.
WAAPH works with governments to make caring for newborns including preterm and low birth weight babies a major priority, building the capacity of systems and health care workforce around ensuring that the importance and practicalities of breastfeeding and skin-to-skin care are heeded and seen as a major life-saving priority.
Website: http://www.publichealth-edu.ng/
African Public Health Laboratory Network (APHLN)
The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) is a pan-African professional body working to advocate for the critical role and needs of laboratory medicine and networks throughout Africa. ASLM works to strengthen laboratory systems in Africa. One critical aspect of strengthening laboratory systems encompasses enhancing communication systems among national laboratory leaders. As such, with support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), ASLM has launched the African Public Health Laboratory Network (APHLN) Listserv.
Purpose of the APHLN: To facilitate discussions and information sharing among national laboratory directors and ministry of health representatives responsible for laboratory services in their country or their designee/s.
Membership in the APHLN ListServ is open to:
- Ministry of Health representatives responsible for laboratory services in their country.
- Directors of the national laboratories in Africa or their designee(s).
- Representatives from ASLM, APHL, CDC, and the World Health Organization (WHO) may participate in these discussions to share information where appropriate.
- The Listserv will be monitored by ASLM and APHL staff to help facilitate responses to questions. Website: http://www.aslm.org
