Public Health On Call

Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator under President Biden, helped the country move out of the acute phase of the pandemic—and learned a lot in the process. Dr. Jha talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what surprised and disappointed him during his federal experience, what it was like to feel responsible for the health of 300+ million people, and why he's concerned about respiratory virus season this year, and every year. Plus: listen to the end to hear a little history about Dr. Jha and Dr. Sharfstein.

The U.S. is home to some of the widest streets and driving lanes in the world—and that's not something to brag about. Shima Hamidi, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Climate-Smart Transportation, talks with Stephanie Desmon about a new report from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative that challenges the notion that wider lanes are safer. They also discuss how altering roads could not only help with safety, but our physical health and climate change adaptations. Learn more here: http://narrowlanes.americanhealth.jhu.edu/

Ringworm, athletes foot, and jock itch are all names for a fungal infection of our skin, hair, and nails. Dermatologist Dr. Avrom Caplan talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about tinea, the actual name of the infection, and how people can get it, how it's treated, and why there are global concerns about new strains that may be much harder to treat.

For the first time in 20 years, locally transmitted cases of malaria have been reported across three US states. Scientists are trying to piece together why and how malaria is appearing in places where it's no longer endemic. Guest host Thomas Locke talks with Jane Carlton, the new director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, about her work decoding the genomes of the parasites that have infected individuals in Maryland to determine their lineage. They also discuss the role of climate change in malaria infections, the global fight against the disease, and the extent to which the public is at risk.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is coming up, and Dr. Caleb Alexander joins the podcast to help you clean our your medicine cabinet in preparation. Dr. Alexander talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about the history behind the day and its roots in response to the opioid epidemic, what kinds of drugs and equipment require safe disposal, where you can find a Take Back drop-off in your community on the 28th, and how to safely get rid of unused prescription drugs year round. Learn more: https://www.dea.gov/takebackday NOTE: In this episode we discuss medical equipment, such as syringes or "sharps" as they're called. Most DEA drop-off locations will not accept these as part of Take Back day, but you can take them to pharmacies, health clinics, police stations, and many other locations.

Humans are using up groundwater—or water stored in naturally occurring aquifers underground—at a dangerous pace. Kellogg Schwab, the Abel Wolman professor in water and public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about why groundwater is being depleted so quickly, what needs to happen to ensure the world doesn't run out of this precious resource, and how water conservation could bring people together across state and country borders.

Opill, the over-the-counter birth control pill recently approved by the FDA, marked a major win for access to contraceptives. But, in the wake of SCOTUS's Dobbs decision, some have called for codifying the right to contraceptive access in federal law. Dana Singiser, cofounder of the nonprofit Contraceptive Access Initiative and senior advisor to Americans For Contraception, talks with Stephanie Desmon about Opill, the overwhelming bipartisan voter support for contraception, and her work advocating for access as a federal right.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits deadly viruses like Zika, chikungunya, and dengue, but doesn't actually get sick from the diseases it carries. George Dimopoulos of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute talks with Stephanie Desmon about a new discovery of a protein, Argonaute 2, that plays a key role in the mosquito's immune system, and how genetically modifying mosquitos could make them vulnerable to the viruses they carry. They also discuss how much of an impact killing off large numbers of mosquitos would have, both on the burden of disease and larger ecological balance.

The Surgeon General issued an advisory about the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the U.S., saying there are serious physical and mental health impacts of loneliness. Dr. Maulik Joshi, president and CEO of Meritus Health, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about Care Callers, an innovative volunteer program aimed to combat loneliness among Meritus patients. They discuss the incredible impacts these phone calls can make, and Dr. Joshi's own experience as a Care Caller himself.

Just back from a trip to Kyiv, Human rights expert Len Rubenstein talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what things are like on the day to day right now. He recounts meetings with officials and health care workers, and their stories ranging from some degree of normalcy and routine health care delivery to brutal attacks on facilities and workers. They also discuss the status of war crime prosecution, the critical need for sustained international support, and the presence of an unwavering sense of hope and optimism among Ukrainians. Content warning: this episode contains depictions of violence and torture.