Improving public health through policy advocacy

The Partnership for the Public's Health (PPH) supports community groups and health departments to work together to improve the health of their communities. Each local partnership has been asked to define something that it wants to change in the community to improve health. Making lasting improvements in your community often requires policy and/or systems change. The purpose of this issue of Community-Based Public Health: Policy and Practice is to highlight the importance of using policy advocacy to advance community health. This issue draws from the presentation, "Advocacy and Lobbying by PPH Collaborative Partners," delivered at the PPH Second Annual Conference by James B. Simpson, JD, MPH, General Counsel, Public Health Institute.