This week, April 4 through 10, we’re celebrating National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2016, a week that helps us recognize the work all of us do to keep our communities and our families healthy. During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) brings communities across the United States together for NPHW as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation.

The theme of this year’s NPHW is Generation Public Health, which includes promoting ways to create the healthiest nation in one generation by 2030. Public health focuses on improving our overall health by building safe and healthy communities, making the healthy choice the easy choice, removing barriers so everyone can improve, and strengthening the public health infrastructure. One of this year’s challenges encourages everyone to take small daily steps that can help them lead a healthier life, and shows how these small changes can play a large role in making our communities healthier places to live.

The National Public Health Week website has the latest information, events, and the NPHW toolkit that includes fact sheets, media outreach materials, suggested community events, and other helpful resources and activities. APHA creates new materials each year that can be used during and after NPHW to raise awareness about public health and prevention. For example, take a look at their video from a couple of years ago, A Healthier America, that shows how every day is a chance to improve the health of our nation. Watch to learn how small changes can save lives. Feel free to share with others to help us spread the message.