Massachusetts Public Health Alliance
SAPHE 2.0 is law!
On December 10 2024, Governor Healey signed the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) Act into law as part of the Mass Leads Act.
For years, MPHA has been a steadfast advocate for strengthening our local public health system. While the COVID-19 pandemic and recent national elections underscored the urgency of this work, the need for SAPHE 2.0 has always been clear. The passage of this legislation is the culmination of years of collective action, driven by an unwavering belief in the power of public health to save lives and advance equity.
For too long, our local public health workforce has been stretched to the breaking point, responding to a relentless stream of public health crises—from devastating weather events fueled by climate change to the opioid crisis and the viral spread of health disinformation. Now with the passage of SAPHE 2.0, Massachusetts takes a giant leap toward realizing a 21st-century local public health that ensures all residents have access to strong health protections regardless of race, income, or zip code.
This victory is a testament to what is possible when we come together. While we celebrate this historic milestone, our work is far from over. As public health faces critical challenges nationwide and in Massachusetts, MPHA and its coalition partners will continue to advocate for sustainable state budget investments to protect these gains and ensure all residents benefit from a public health system that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Fact Sheets
Supporting the Coalition for Local Public Health
Local public health requires a strong infrastructure of Boards of Health and Health Departments who are prepared and have the resources to respond to acute and routine public health needs. These local agencies provide foundational protections, including food and housing safety, communicable disease control, and protection from harmful lead exposure. In addition to its role as CLPH facilitator, MPHA is a proud member of CLPH along with the MA Association of Health Boards, MA Association of Public Health Nurses, MA Environmental Health Association, MA Health Officers Association, and Western MA Public Health Association.
Massachusetts Large Cities Health Coalition (MLCHC)
MPHA coordinates the Massachusetts Large Cities Health Coalition (MLCHC), a collaboration between the public health leadership of the fourteen largest cities in the Commonwealth and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Established in 2016, MLCHC members represent over 30% of the population and see the highest concentration of racial health inequities. The goal of the MLCHC is three-fold. First, the coalition provides a forum for these large metropolitan health departments to share information and strategies. Second, it fosters access meaningful peer-to-peer support in facing multiple ongoing public health emergencies. And third, it creates an opportunity for the members to harness their collective power to advance long-term, sustainable public health measures that advance health equity.
The participating cities in MLCHC are Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester.
Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning
Childhood lead poisoning is a persistent and pervasive problem that affect hundreds of families across the Commonwealth each year. Due to the age of the housing stock in Massachusetts, lead paint is present in the majority of homes. In addition, drinking water in more than half of public school taps tested since 2016 contains unacceptably high lead levels. Stark racial and economic inequities exist in the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning, and current funding is insufficient to respond to existing cases or to implement a comprehensive strategy to prevent lead poisoning in the future.
To address this critical need, MPHA successfully advocated to provide funding for the Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPP) to both eliminate the previous backlog of families with lead poisoned children that were awaiting services, and re-institute a proactive prevention program that will work with medical providers, landlords, housing authorities, and others to identify and mitigate hazards before lead poisoning occurs. MPHA will continue to monitor the needs of CLPP and stands ready to take action on this critical public health issue.
Resources
Get the Lead out Loan Program
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
2025 – 2026 Legislation Endorsed by MPHA
Overdose Prevention Centers (H.2196/S.1393) by Reps Decker and Lawn, Sen. Cyr
Overdose prevention centers are evidence-based public health interventions proven to prevent overdoses through supervised use of pre-obtained substances, while connecting people to treatment, recovery, health care, and their communities. Successful harm reduction and overdose prevention methods are already in place in Massachusetts, and the Commonwealth should build on these existing strong public health practices. Earlier this year, Rhode Island opened the first state-authorized overdose prevention center, and it has already helped save lives and prevent overdose deaths.
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