The National Association for Public Health Policy (NAPHP) was founded in 1979 to improve the health of the people of the United States by helping to develop health policy, formulating and initiating legislation to implement such policy, and supporting measures to strengthen the public health services.

In support of these missions, NAPHP has joined with other organizations, including the American Friends Service Committee (the Quakers), Jews for Israeli-Palestine Peace and Maryland Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, in endorsing a Baltimore City Council resolution opposing war against Iraq. The resolution affirms that any unilateral military action by the U.S. would violate international law and the United Nations Charter. It urges the Bush administration to continue to work through the United Nations to disarm Iraq through a unified iternational effort rather than warfare.

The goal of NAPHP is to establish a national health program consisting of three basic areas:

• Disease Prevention
• Living Standards
• Medical Care

The NAPHP platform includes measures which support local, state, and federal efforts to:

• Implement comprehensive prevention programs;
• Control exposure to environmental, workplace, and marketplace hazards;
• Promote healthful standards of employment, income, housing, education, and recreation;
• Remove barriers to medical care.

NAPHP is organized as a nonprofit membership corporation under the Internal Revenue Code section that permits a wide range of activities with regard to influencing the public policy process. It is organized into working councils whose members are active or interested in specific public health areas. The Board of Directors consists of the officers, directors-at-large, and the chairs, vice-chairs, and secretaries of the Councils.