Messaging Medicine | Stats + Stories Episode 150

The work of health researchers is vitally important to the safety and well-being of people around the world, with the COVID-19 crisis making that all too clear. However, health researchers are facing a crisis of their own, a crisis of trust. It’s fueled partly by the proliferation of social media, the politicization of data, and the reluctance of some researchers to discuss their work. The issue of trust and health research is a focus of this episode of Stats and Stories with guest Sandra Alba Sandra Alba, MSc, PhD, is an epidemiologist at KIT Royal Tropical Institute with a background in medical statistics. She has 15 years’ experience in the application of statistical and epidemiological methods to evaluate public health programs primarily low- and middle-income countries. At KIT Sandra has specialized in the application of statistical and epidemiological methods M&E and impact evaluations within multidisciplinary teams and in collaboration with local partners in Africa and Asia. Her areas of expertise include child health, malaria, WASH and TB. How did trust become such an issue? (1:44) Scientific vs. public debate (4:57) Cultural disconnects drives distrust (8:50) More certainty (11:45) Engaging nurses and doctors (16:30) COVID Vaccine (19:16) Work with TB (21:15)