Episodes

  • 829 - Do Mammograms Save Lives?

    829 - Do Mammograms Save Lives?
    Dec 16 2024
    About this episode: For decades, regular mammograms to detect breast cancer have been recommended for women ages 50-75. In 2024, the age range dropped to include women 40-49 as well. But what do we really know about mammography as a tool to save lives? Are all scans created equal? What is the risk/benefit analysis to upping the number of screenings a woman is recommended to receive in her lifetime? In today’s episode: a deep dive into the evidence around mammography, and a look at the new guidelines—including the controversy around them. Guest: is a globally-recognized expert in cancer prevention and control whose work focuses on developing cancer screening strategies and ensuring their effectiveness. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in epidemiology with a joint appointment in oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He was the former Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —U.S. Preventive Services Task Force —Public Health On Call (June 2024) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    21 mins
  • 828 - Public Health is a Human Right

    828 - Public Health is a Human Right
    Dec 11 2024
    About this episode: The day after the 2024 presidential election, Joe Amon—the brand new director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights—was set to give a speech for a panel about health discrimination. But the one he’d prepared wasn’t going to cut it for a moment suddenly marked by uncertainty and change. He pivoted to a different message: one that acknowledges that public health doesn’t have everything figured out, and that it works best when it’s viewed as a social movement. In this episode: a moment of reflection for the field, considerations of some of the challenges that lay ahead, and the critical importance of thinking about public health as a human right. Note: You can read an adaptation of the speech in the link below. Guest: is the director of the . Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    15 mins
  • 827 - The Rise in Pediatric Cases of Walking Pneumonia

    827 - The Rise in Pediatric Cases of Walking Pneumonia
    Dec 9 2024
    About this episode: Well into the respiratory illness season, there’s been a rise in cases of walking pneumonia compared to recent years, particularly among children. In this episode: an overview of walking pneumonia; how it’s tested, treated, and prevented; and what parents and caregivers should look out for in children. Guests: is an associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of medicine and a pediatric infectious disease epidemiologist for Johns Hopkins Hospital. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases —The Washington Post —Public Health On Call (September, 2024) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    18 mins
  • 826 - The Success of Rx Kids, Flint’s Infant Cash Prescription Program

    826 - The Success of Rx Kids, Flint’s Infant Cash Prescription Program
    Dec 4 2024
    About this episode: Ten years ago, Flint, Michigan was in the headlines for its catastrophic water crisis. Now, it’s on the map for a very different public health story: the success of the country’s first unconditional cash program for expecting mothers and babies in their first year of life. The concept is not new, however—it’s rooted in decades of evidence that cash programs help address root causes of poverty and can truly give kids a better start in life. Note: This episode was recorded in late October, prior to the 2024 presidential election. Note: Donations to Rx Kids can be made via . Guest: is a pediatrician, the associate dean for public health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and the director of Rx Kids. is the global director of research for GiveDirectly—the program that administers Rx Kids. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Public Health On Call (September, 2023) —NPR —NY Times Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    20 mins
  • 825 - The Future of the Environmental Protection Agency Under Trump

    825 - The Future of the Environmental Protection Agency Under Trump
    Dec 2 2024
    About this episode: Lingering environmental policy legacies from Trump’s last administration may be harbingers for what’s to come in 2025. Concerns include widespread deregulation leading to increased use of fossil fuels and a lack of vigilance around protecting drinking water and air quality. But it isn’t just the EPA itself that’s in peril: Major shift towards the politicization of climate change, and the disempowering of scientists and agencies in the court system could create lasting—and even irreversible—impacts to human health. In this episode: a look at what Trump’s second term may mean for environmental health, and why it will be crucial for policymakers and scientists to galvanize around innovation and local action. Guests: is an emeritus professor at Johns Hopkins and a former top official with the Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —NM Political Report —Public Health On Call (August, 2024) —Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    15 mins
  • 824 - Avian Influenza (H5N1) Update

    824 - Avian Influenza (H5N1) Update
    Nov 26 2024
    About this episode: Outbreaks of H5N1 continue to rise in dairy cattle and poultry, and human cases are also starting to creep up including a Canadian teen who was hospitalized in critical condition. In this episode: the latest on viral sequencing and patterns of spread, the potential for economic impacts and interruptions in the food supply, risks to the general public, and concerns about how an administration change in January may impact public health’s ability to mount a sufficient response. Guest: is a veterinarian and public health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a joint appointment at the . is a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with appointments in and . Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Nature —The Guardian Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    18 mins
  • 823 - Special Episode—The Fight For A Swimmable Harbor in Baltimore

    823 - Special Episode—The Fight For A Swimmable Harbor in Baltimore
    Nov 25 2024
    About this episode: Baltimore’s iconic Inner Harbor is like a highway for massive ships. It’s also been a dumping ground for chemicals and pollutants, and every time it rains, stormwater runoff brings sewage and trash from miles inland. But in 2010, a coalition announced the Healthy Harbor initiative—a plan to make Baltimore’s famous waterfront swimmable and fishable by 2020. In June 2024, the city held its first public swim in the harbor in more than 40 years. It took nearly a decade and a half to pull it off—and some say, it’s only the beginning. In this special episode of Public Health On Call, we look at four ways Baltimore activists, coalitions, agencies, scientists, and residents came together to fight for a swimmable and fishable harbor: getting people’s attention, collecting data, mitigating sewage, and battling against trash. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    38 mins
  • 823 - Fluoride In The Water

    823 - Fluoride In The Water
    Nov 22 2024
    About this episode: Water fluoridation is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th Century. Yet for as long as there has been fluoride in the water, some have raised concerns about its safety. In this episode: the history of water fluoridation, its enormous benefits for preventing tooth decay, and the recent wave of interest in whether fluoridation policies should change. Guest: is a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s, a professor at UW Medicine, and an expert on infant and child nutrition and oral health. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —The New England Journal of Medicine —National Toxicology Program —American Academy of Pediatrics Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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    18 mins