Public Health On Call

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Public Health On Call

Evidence and experts to help you understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.

  1. 834 - Bird Flu Is Escalating

    18 HR AGO

    834 - Bird Flu Is Escalating

    About this episode: The U.S.’s first reported human death from bird flu is another sign that the virus is not going away anytime soon. In this episode: why it’s time to double down on efforts to limit H5N1 transmission among cattle and birds, concerns about cats and other mammals, and how response measures need to scale up quickly and more broadly to try and prevent the virus from gaining a foothold in humans. The experts also discuss why bird flu poses an existential threat to the dairy industry. Guests: Dr. Meghan Davis is a veterinarian and public health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a joint appointment at the School of Medicine. Dr. Andy Pekosz is a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with appointments in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Environmental Health and Engineering. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Bird flu H5N1 claims first human life in U.S.: “We remain vigilant”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza—USDA Defend The Flock: Biosecurity Practices—USDA Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS fe

    19 min
  2. 833 - Why Are Americans Dying So Much Earlier Than Some Of Their Counterparts?

    1 DAY AGO

    833 - Why Are Americans Dying So Much Earlier Than Some Of Their Counterparts?

    About this episode: A new report from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative finds that the U.S. lags behind many other high-income countries in life expectancy. In this report, researchers found that babies born 40 years ago in the U.S. and U.K could expect to live to the same age. Today, however, life expectancy is nearly three years shorter for those on our side of the Atlantic Ocean. In this episode: a look at the four main causes of death driving this gap—all of which are preventable—and how one of the world’s richest countries that spends the most on healthcare is continually failing to improve the health of its people. Guest: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: A Tale of Two Countries: The Life Expectancy Gap Between the United States and the United Kingdom—The Bloomberg American Health Initiative Americans Die Younger Than U.K. Counterparts Due to Four Preventable Causes—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Expanding Access to Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Carceral Settings—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

    16 min
  3. 832 - The Importance of Knowing and Optimizing Your Hearing Health…At ANY Age

    6 DAYS AGO

    832 - The Importance of Knowing and Optimizing Your Hearing Health…At ANY Age

    About this episode: Hearing declines for everyone as we get older, no matter what we do. As it declines, it can cause health problems like cognitive decline and brain atrophy, and is directly linked with Alzheimer’s. But there are ways to understand and reduce these impacts including over-the-counter hearing aids and a new app where people can test their hearing on their smartphone. In this episode: a conversation about a health issue that will impact all of us to some degree, and how technology is helping to address impacts early and upend the stigma of hearing loss. Guest: Dr. Frank Lin is the director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health and a professor of otolaryngology, medicine, mental health, and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Episode transcript How and Why to Learn Your Hearing Numbers Download the Hearing Number app for iOS (App Store) or Android (Google Play) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

    20 min
  4. 830 - Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times

    18/12/2024

    830 - Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times

    About this episode: On December 3, the Bloomberg American Health Initiative held its annual summit. This year, the theme really marked the moment: Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times. In today’s episode, you’ll hear three conversations from the Summit about how public health can provide a roadmap for making needed progress. First: how public health data and evidence provide context for judicial decisions. Then, how a public health lens is helping to address the issue of gun violence. And finally, how to find common ground on mental health and addiction. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: 2024 Bloomberg American Health Summit—YouTube Public Health At Work in Uncertain Times: A Recap of the 2024 Bloomberg American Health Summit Hopkins Judicial Health Notes What The White House Office of Gun Violence Has Accomplished In Its First Year—Everytown For Gun Safety Bipartisan Mental Health In Schools Excellence Act Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

    27 min
  5. 829 - Do Mammograms Save Lives?

    16/12/2024

    829 - Do Mammograms Save Lives?

    About this episode: For decades, regular mammograms to detect breast cancer have been recommended for women ages 50-75. In 2024, the age range dropped to include women 40-49 as well. But what do we really know about mammography as a tool to save lives? Are all scans created equal? What is the risk/benefit analysis to upping the number of screenings a woman is recommended to receive in her lifetime? In today’s episode: a deep dive into the evidence around mammography, and a look at the new guidelines—including the controversy around them. Guest: Dr. Otis Brawley is a globally-recognized expert in cancer prevention and control whose work focuses on developing cancer screening strategies and ensuring their effectiveness. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in epidemiology with a joint appointment in oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He was the former Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Final Recommendation Statement: Breast Cancer Screening—U.S. Preventive Services Task Force The Rise of Colorectal Cancer Among Younger People—Public Health On Call (June 2024) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

    21 min
  6. 828 - Public Health is a Human Right

    11/12/2024

    828 - Public Health is a Human Right

    About this episode: The day after the 2024 presidential election, Joe Amon—the brand new director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights—was set to give a speech for a panel about health discrimination. But the one he’d prepared wasn’t going to cut it for a moment suddenly marked by uncertainty and change. He pivoted to a different message: one that acknowledges that public health doesn’t have everything figured out, and that it works best when it’s viewed as a social movement. In this episode: a moment of reflection for the field, considerations of some of the challenges that lay ahead, and the critical importance of thinking about public health as a human right. Note: You can read an adaptation of the speech in the link below. Guest: Joe Amon is the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Post-Election Public Health Needs to Keep On Keeping On—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on X @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed

    15 min

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Evidence and experts to help you understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.

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