BOSTON, MA – The Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA) celebrated a major victory for local public health in Massachusetts with today’s signing of the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) Act by Governor Maura Healey. SAPHE 2.0 was passed by the legislature as part of the Economic Development Bond Bill. The landmark law will significantly strengthen the state’s local public health system and improve consistent and equitable public health responses across the Commonwealth. 

MPHA’s advocacy to shore up Massachusetts’ local public health system long predates the COVID-19 pandemic and the current election cycle, but these two seismic events threw into sharp relief the urgent need for SAPHE 2.0 to help foster public health and equity. 

“For too long our local public health workforce has been stretched to the breaking point, responding to a relentless stream of public health challenges—from devastating weather events fueled by climate change to the opioid crisis and the viral spread of health disinformation,” said Oami Amarasingham, Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance.  

Read the full release.