What a year! Looking back and looking forward, from PHAN CEO Tarz Ludwigsen

When Public Health Action Network (PHAN) was founded in late 2024, it emerged from a shared conviction among a group of practitioners, researchers, and technologists that public health needed a stronger voice and a more connected approach to action.

We were founded by individuals with deep experience across data analysis, research and development, statistics, innovation, public health practice, and identification of emerging needs. We have seen what happens when data is ignored, when research fails to translate into action, and when public health decisions are made without the benefit of coordinated insight. PHAN was created to change that, with an emphasis on Action. 

Although our formal operations began in 2025, this first year has already demonstrated the value of our approach. We moved quickly from formation to execution, establishing a strong organizational foundation while engaging partners, stakeholders, volunteers, and advocates across the public health ecosystem, specifically as it pertains to Covid and clean airAir free of pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, and harmful particles.. From the outset, our work has been guided by a commitment to evidence-driven advocacy and transparency and to elevating public health issues that demand urgent, informed action.

As an early-stage organization, we made deliberate choices to prioritize credibility, rigor, and accountability. We invested in governance, advisory expertise, and systems that ensure our work is grounded in data and transparent decision-making. At the same time, we began advancing our mission in practice by more extended outreach and expertise, amplifying critical public health priorities, and laying the groundwork for initiatives designed to provide transparency, inform the public, and support long-term systems change.

What distinguishes this moment is not simply that PHAN exists, but that it is already functioning largely as intended. In our first year of activity, we demonstrated that there is both demand and readiness for organizations that connect research, innovation, and advocacy into a unified public health voice. We have seen how coordinated action strengthens outcomes and how fragmentation and silos weaken them. Our work is a direct response to that reality.

Looking ahead, our focus is growth with impact. We are committed to expanding our reach, deepening partnerships, and scaling initiatives that translate data into action and advocacy into measurable results. We will continue to challenge inertia, elevate evidence, and advocate for policies and systems that protect and advance public health and clean airAir free of pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, and harmful particles. as a human right.

This annual report captures the earliest chapter of an organization built for long-term relevance. It reflects not only what we have accomplished in a short time, but what we are positioned to achieve. PHAN was created to meet this moment, and we are prepared to grow in service of communities, decision-makers, and the public health mission itself.

I realize these letters are supposed to be a bit in formal tone, as I’ve attempted to keep to, however, I want to endlessly thank the board, partners, supporters, and early collaborators who have believed in a future vision from the beginning. Your trust and commitment have made this first year possible. You give me goosebumps as I think of the possibilities for the future of ourselves and future generations knowing what we can do together, in light of everything that is currently wrong in how we treat clean airAir free of pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, and harmful particles., and in many ways, each other.

Sincerely,
Tarz
-CEO, Co-founder
Public Health Action Network