Global Health Conversations

Read the newsletter here:  Are we living in an age of outbreaks? This is the last holiday season newsletter podcast episode! If you listened to them, I hope you enjoyed them ! :) If you enjoyed this, I invite you to subscribe to the fortnightly newsletter here: https://globalhealthconversations.substack.com/ The next edition will be Sunday 4th January 2025. And if you enjoy the GHC podcast, please...

Read the newsletter here:  Sugar, Spice & this fortnight's IWD Podcast 💕 Topics in this newsletter's Fortnight in Resources :)  1. New therapeutics for psoriasis  2. AstraZeneca Investment in building capacity for Vaccine Manufacturing for Pandemic Preparedness in the UK 3. Pandemic Agreement updates and links  4. Mental Health effects of Climate Change  Support the show

This Newsletter: The real toll of weight-loss injections: Semaglutides, the economy & you __ Past newsletter - Skinny at all costs? Unravelling the weight loss sensation causing supply chain mayhem for Diabetes Type II patients. Click here to read: Alzheimer’s in the UK special essay with Loredana Thanks for listening. :) If you like the podcast, please leave me a 5 star rating wherever you li...

Newsletter: Focus on Climate & Health + so much more (H5N1, MSF Access Campaign Controversy & New MPOX strain) - 7 July 2024 Merry Christmas :)  Support the show

Newsletter:  The Interconnectedness of Everything & Two Autumn Tales: Something old & something new - 27 October 2024 Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - Personal Letter 05:34 - Pharma & Global Health Headlines 06:46 - Fortnight in Resources 07:05 - Summary: World Health Summit 2024 in Berlin 14:51 - 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference - COP16 17:47 - The Polycrisis in Health - Fortnight Speci...

In January of 2024, Loredana Marta of Vulvarina asked me to collaborate with her on a piece on Intersectional Feminism entitled: xxxiii: up in the mountains . And we happened to record it too. Having just returned from a lovely weekend together in Vienna, and as the year draws to an end, I thought this might be a fitting time to publish our narrated writing here, as an ode to 2024. Loredana and I...

A Storytime: The story of Cholera in London in the 1800s and how John Snow’s famous experiments revolutionised epidemiology and public health as we know it in modern, western history has always been a favourite for me. I was reminded of this story strolling through Soho past the John Snow pub recently and past the famous Broad Street pump. This podcast episode is a public health bedtime story; one...

A walkthrough. The Pandemic Accord is a proposed global agreement aimed at strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Emerging in the aftermath of COVID-19, the accord aims to address gaps in international coordination, surveillance, and equitable access to medical countermeasures, globally. This episode takes a high level overview of the Pandemic Accord, it’s purpose and a wal...

This fortnight's Newsletter We need to talk about Mpox -  July 21st 2024 Newsletter Timstamps: Overview: 00:00 What happened? 03:47 What does it mean? 05:55 What’s next? 11:09 _______________ tl;dr  On August 14, 2024, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the second such declaration i...

Subscribe here  to the Global Health Conversations Newsletter Read the full Project 2025 document here: Mandate for Leadership the Conservative Promise In this fortnight's episode, we explore Project 2025's proposed policies, which could dramatically impact health, women’s health and safety. The plan includes lifetime caps on Medicaid, reducing coverage for millions, and increased out-of...

In this mini solo episode, we take a high level look at Philippines' health system.  In under twelve minutes, we take an overview of the health system dynamic, payer mechanisms and the fiscal policies the nation has employed to boost health expenditure 6-fold! We delve into the multifaceted nature of the ongoing epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases.  Addit...

In this BONUS episode, we delve into the true crime-style medical scandal of Real Water. The company’s negligence led to severe health issues, including acute liver dysfunction in consumers like Megan Fisher’s son, Tommy. Real Water’s aggressive marketing of its unproven E2 technology claimed extraordinary health benefits, but the FDA found a potentially toxic compound in the water, that caused ac...

In this episode, we explore the economics of thinness and the phenomenal rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the weight loss market. Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, has become Europe's most profitable company, surpassing even the luxury giant LVMH. We delve into the social and economic capital associated with thinness, examining how societal attitudes...

In this week’s episode, we look at Colombia's recent move in issuing its first compulsory license. The country challenged ViiV Healthcare's monopoly on their patented drug, dolutegravir, an HIV therapeutic, in an attempt to open doors for affordable generic versions and thus improve accessibility & affordability.  We explore the nuances of licensing mechanisms - voluntary agreements...

This is Part 2 of our 2 Part interview. Listen here  for Part 1: - Listen here on Spotify - Listen here on Apple Podcasts - Listen here on Audible Today I interview Ema Prohić and we discuss proper teeth brushing, systemic issues in dental care and continue on the theme of the true cost of oral health. Drawing on her experience in different health systems, we discuss the financing of dental proced...

On this episode I interview Ema Prohić and we discuss the true cost of oral health. Drawing on her experience in different health systems, we discuss the financing of dental procedures, dentist fear and how to avoid the most common oral health pitfalls. We also discuss a public health project that I lead back in 2020 with the Ministry of Health Qatar and PHCC wherein she focussed on integrating or...

In this episode, in recognition of International Women's Day, we talk about cervical cancer and discuss its significance as a symbol of global health disparities and gender inequality. Cervical cancer incidence is exacerbated by socio-economic factors and disproportionately affects women in poverty.  We discuss the importance of HPV vaccination, regular screening, and innovative prevention st...

In this episode we discussed oral health as a public health issue. Discussing system challenges, incentivisation and disincentivasation, dental caries as the most common infectious disease, bacteria and the use of antibiotics. Ema is a doctor of dental medicine from Croatia, currently undertaking her specialization in orthodontics and facial orthopedics in Barcelona, Spain. She  started her profes...

Check out the  newsletter In this week’s solocast we discussed the cost of medical care. Particularly, I attempted to answer the question: Why do Americans pay (so much) more for healthcare? With my health economist hat on - I looked into transparency, drug prices and administrative costs. But are these only reasons that the US has the world’s third highest out of pocket health expenditure? And, m...

This is the official last episode of Season 1! The Global Health Conversations Newsletter continues throughout the holidays until we're back after the Christmas holidays. Click here to Sign up to the free Global Health Conversations fortnightly newsletter . It is packed with the latest news in global health with themes each fortnight. You will also be notified when the next exciting interview...

***** If you or a friend or loved one has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, I strongly encourage you to 1. Click here to find a domestic violence hotline or helpline near you in your country please speak to someone who will understand your situation and help. 2. Delete your search history and stay safe. ***** Sign up to the Global Health Conversations fortnightly newsletter These...

(Note: I was unfortunately unable to add the supplementary slides to the show notes. However, the image described in question 8 is in this week's Newsletter . Thanks for understanding and I hope you enjoyed the episode! If so, it really helps me if you leave me a kind, cheeky little five star rating ;) Thank you, Friend, for being part of the Conversation.) This week's episode delves int...

Timestamps: Intro & Update: 01:36 Health Systems strengthening: 5:07 Local manufacturing: 19:19 Read the Newsletter here Summary: This week’s episode provides a high level summary of important pillars in health systems strengthening and provides background on the move to manufacture vaccines and biologics regionally in Africa and beyond. Listen to Part 1 here:  Universal Health Coverage: No-on...

We discussed the role and impact of storytelling on women’s health and explored inequities that exist in this area. We also discussed health tech and the many persisting shortcomings that impact women’s health, treatment and lives.  Loredana Marta pens a newsletter under the name Vulvarina about how sexism interferes with our lives in unseen ways, in areas ranging from medical care, to industrial...

Sign up to the Fortnightly Newsletter here In today’s episode our Conversation was centered around the role of Medical countermeasures (MCMs) in pandemic preparedness and we also touched on the concept of Disease X.  Medical countermeasures refer to the measures and products aimed at addressing the medical needs arising from infectious disease outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored deficienc...