Public Health On Call

PEPFAR, or the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was initiated by President Bush in 2003 is credited with saving 25 million lives over the past 20 years and remains the largest commitment to a single disease in history. But the global bipartisan program is now at the mercy of American politics. Dr. Chris Beyrer , director of the Duke Global Health Institute and a member of the scientific...

An alarming rise in sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia, gonnorhea, and syphilis in the US calls for new prevention and treatment tactics. Dr. Matthew Hamill , a Johns Hopkins clinical researcher specializing in HIV and STIs, talks with Stephanie Desmon about DoxyPEP, or the use of antibiotic doxycycline after sexual contact. They discuss its effectiveness and availability, use in the c...

Our individual health is shaped by the environments we live in. So what does that mean for the more than 280 million people worldwide who have moved across country borders from the place of their birth? Johns Hopkins Health Policy and Management assistant professor Catherine Ettman , who recently edited the book Migration and Health , talks with Stephanie Desmon about the many factors that impact...

As Maryland's Public Defender, Natasha Dartigue 's office sees 90% of criminal cases in the state. In addition to the mission of representing individuals with criminal charges, there are new efforts underway to keep young people from getting into trouble in the first place. She speaks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the office's new outreach and collaborations to close critical gaps for families an...

Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams talks about his new book, "Crisis and Chaos, Lessons From the Front Lines in the War Against COVID-19" with Dr. Josh Sharfstein . On the topic list: his compelling personal story, the "emotionally jarring" experience of leading during a highly politicized pandemic, and his efforts to advocate for health as a bipartisan priority.

Overdose prevention sites—places where people can use illicit drugs under supervision—are extremely controversial and many cities are opposed to them because of the belief that they'll invite disorder and crime to the communities where they're operating. Dr. Brandon del Pozo , assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about a new s...

In the wake of last month's Lewiston shootings in Maine, the state's "yellow flag" law has come under scrutiny. Josh Horwitz of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions talks with Stephanie Desmon about red flag laws, or Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and why Maine's hybrid approach is so ineffective. They also discuss the constitutionality of red flag laws and a number of other effect...

RSV—respiratory syncytial virus—is a common infection that causes cold-like symptoms but can become very severe in young children and is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies under 1. Dr. Ruth Karron , director of the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about two new products, a vaccine for pregnant people and an antibody treatment for babies, that could subs...

The holiday season can be intense for anyone, but especially those who are living with grief—whether it's recent or decades old. Eleanor Haley , who has a master's in counseling psychology, and Litsa Williams , a clinical social worker, are co-founders of What's Your Grief, an online community for grieving people and grief support professionals. They talk with Lindsay Smith Rogers about ways to ap...

Many lawsuits against employers for requiring COVID-19 vaccines remain in U.S. courts. Dawn Solowey , a partner in the labor and employment practice of Seyfarth Shaw, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these court cases, the rise in public discourse around religious and medical exemptions, and implications for other workplace issues like diversity training and protections for LGBTQ individuals.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs was established to develop and research creative ways to boost the use of modern family planning around the world. Today, as the center marks its 35th birthday, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein speaks to CCP's new executive director Debora Freitas Lopez about the program's continued mission to inspire and enable people around the world to make healthy choic...

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 abo...

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 on...

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 h...

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 communit...

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 reso...

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 D...

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 the...

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...

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...

Registered dietitians with huge social media followings are getting paid to promote sugar, supplements, and other products and messages that clash with evidence-based recommendations—at times without proper disclosure. Sasha Chavkin , a reporter with The Examination, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the food industry's stealthy tactic to exploit the power that influencers can have on social me...

Nipah virus is a lethal zoonotic disease that passes from bats to humans in what are called "spillover events." But it's still not known for sure how outbreaks happen, which makes prevention difficult. Epidemiologist Emily Gurley , who has studied Nipah outbreaks in Bangladesh for nearly 20 years, talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about her work tracking the virus's transmission and the enormous amo...

Treatment for substance use disorders during pregnancy is effective, and recommended by experts in many cases. But outdated, and often misinformed, policies have led to babies being taken by child welfare agencies because their parents was on anti-addiction medication. Two Johns Hopkins experts in opioid policy, Sachini Bandara and Alex McCourt , talk with Lindsay Smith Rogers about these laws imp...

When patients don't feel heard by their doctors, there's an erosion of trust that can lead to serious health consequences—even if clinicians have their patients' best interests in mind. Dr. Mary Catherine Beach , who studies patient-provider communications, talks with Stephanie Desmon about what can happen when patients don't feel heard, interventions to teach providers better listening skills, an...