In 2025, the Alabama Department of Public Health celebrates 150 years of promoting, protecting, and improving the health of the state's residents.
The road to Alabama's public health system was paved with hardship and tragedy. In its early days as a state (Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state in 1819) and on through the 1800s, Alabama was under siege from a variety of epidemics. Private physicians were overwhelmed by patients seeking treatment for cholera, yellow fever, diphtheria, polio, tuberculosis, and other illnesses. Alabama's infants were especially vulnerable at the time, with two out of every three dying before the age of one.
On February 19, 1875, the state's legislative body, the Alabama General Assembly, passed a law recognizing the Medical Association of the State of Alabama as the official State Board of Health. This gave the Board the authority to create and implement a much needed plan that would develop health laws, educational programs, and a "system of hygiene" designed to preserve and prolong life. Today, we consider this development the birth of the Alabama Department of Public Health.
The benefits of this landmark move have been significant. Since the creation of our public health system, the life expectancy of Alabama residents has nearly doubled, from approximately 44 in the 1870s to around 72 today. The state's food supplies are safer. On-site sewage systems and septic tanks have been implemented to provide healthier living conditions. Facilities such as laboratories and county health departments have been established and improved. Our ability to track and contain outbreaks of infectious diseases, and to mobilize for mass vaccinations in the face of such outbreaks, continues to strengthen and evolve. What was once a small group of medical professionals has grown to become a statewide force dedicated to providing opportunities and expanding the possibilities for every Alabama resident to live a longer, healthier life.
This year, we invite you to join us as we celebrate the milestones and achievements of the past 150 years, and as we look ahead to the challenges we must overcome to ensure a better quality of life for our fellow Alabamians.