Public Health On Call

Guest host Shelley Hearne, director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy talks to Antha Williams, who leads the Environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. In this episode, they discuss how Bloomberg Philanthropies is using data, storytelling, and grassroots campaigns to fight climate change and protect public health. Under Williams' direction, Bloomberg Philanthropies supports environmental initiatives to improve the sustainability of cities around the world, accelerate the transition to clean energy, combat overfishing and protect coral reefs, and help businesses and investors better understand climate-related financial risks and opportunities.

Humira is an immunosuppressive drug used to treat arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, is one of the most profitable drugs of all time. In this episode, Tahir Amin, founder and executive director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge., joins Dr. Josh Sharfstein to talk about how gaming the patent system may have helped stave off competition, costing consumers billions of dollars. They also discuss what it would take to reform the system.

Three years on, we are still actively debating whether the pandemic was caused when the virus spilled over naturally from animals in a market or whether it was somehow caused by a Chinese lab leak. In this episode, Stephanie Desmon talks to Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, about the dueling theories on where COVID came from. They discuss what we know, why it matters and what lessons we can learn for the future.

The Anopheles stephensi mosquito is threatening to redefine malaria in Africa. In this episode, Thomas Locke, host of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute Extended podcast produced by the School Malaria Research Institute, speaks to Eric Ochomo from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and Seth Irish from the World Health Organization, about the rise of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito. Together, they discuss why the mosquito is in Africa, what this means for malaria, and—more importantly—what can be done.

What's the best way to prevent blood clots after serious fractures? Is it an expensive shot you have to give yourself twice a day? Or is it a little pill you might have already somewhere in your house? In this episode, Dr. Josh Sharfstein speaks to Dr. Robert O'Toole, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, about a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This research was conducted by the Major Extreme Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Fatbergs are a menace to public health in our cities, and a potent symbol of neglect of our urban water systems. They're also disgusting to look at. Yet thanks to a glamorous troupe of synchronized swimmers, Fluid Movement Baltimore made them glamorous in the name of public health. Find out how as we go behind-the-scenes of a special video project that reminds us we all have a role to play in keeping our sewers healthy.

Fatbergs are 'the bane of utilities' existence'—they exist because many cities take for granted an essential but largely hidden public health tool: urban sewers. In this episode, Natalie Exum, Assistant Scientist in the department of Environmental Health and Engineering, and Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper Alice Volpitta of Blue Water Baltimore, a nonprofit that serves as a watchdog for the city's water systems, about the immovable clogs that threaten public health in cities across the globe—and what we do about it.

Jerold Mande, CEO of Nourish science and an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, speaks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about an article he co-authored calling for more attention to health in the nation's largest food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. They also discuss SNAP's benefits in reducing food insecurity, and how potential changes could help reduce diet-related disease as well.

Dr. Rebekah Gee, formerly the successful Commissioner of Health for Louisiana, is now the founder of the startup company Nest Health. She speaks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about why she chose a for-profit venture, how her current role compares and contrasts with the public sector, and the advice she would give to someone looking to make an impact in public health. You can read more about Dr. Gee's company at nesthealth.com.

The B'more for Healthy Babies program in Promise Heights is a remarkable program in West Baltimore that has reduced infant mortality and improved other health outcomes for more than a decade. Stacey Stephens, the social worker who directs this effort for the University of Maryland School of Social Work, speaks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about this effort. Joining them is Gisele Joseph, a community health worker and certified lactation consultant in the program. The secret to their success? It's not an app. It's not a quick fix. It's years of grassroots organizing and outreach. To learn more visit the program's website, which has opportunities to contribute.