Public Health On Call

About this episode:  
During the recent pandemic, low-income countries struggled to access the COVID-19 vaccine, despite a global framework that had been established for this purpose. In this episode: Tahir Amin, a leader in the access to medicines movement, shares his perspective on what failed during the pandemic and how this experience reflects larger challenges in the availability and affordability of critical medications.
Guest: 
Tahir Amin, DPLP, is a founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK), a nonprofit organization working to address the inequities in how medicines are developed and distributed.
Host: 
Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. 
Show links and related content: 
Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines—Polity Books (book)

Americans' Challenges with Health Care Costs—KFF

Patently imperfect—Science

Could Patent Reform Lower Drug Prices?—Public Health On Call (March 2023)

Transcript information:
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
Wild pollinators like bees and hoverflies play a direct role in human health. A recent study in Nepal shows that flourishing pollinator populations lead to higher agricultural yields, bolstering both human economic wellbeing and access to ample, nutrient-rich foods. In this episode: Dr. Samuel Myers of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health details the link between biodiversity and human health and the risk that mankind's ecological footprint poses to this complex and essential relationship.
Guest: 
Sam Myers, MD, MPH, is the founding director of the Planetary Health Alliance and the faculty director at the brand new Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health.
Host: 
Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.
Show links and related content: 
Pollinators support the nutrition and income of vulnerable communities—Nature

Why Pollinators Matter for Human Health: Five Questions With Samuel Myers—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The Case for Planetary Health—Can We Change?—Public Health On Call (April 2025)

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
Global infant mortality has fallen dramatically since 1990, but neonatal sepsis—a serious bloodstream infection occurring in newborns—still accounts for a significant portion of preventable deaths. Simple interventions like good hygiene practices and sufficient staffing in delivery rooms could reduce infections and prevent fatalities. In this episode: Pablo Duran, a perinatal health expert with the Pan American Health Organization, explains how providers, parents, and public health can prevent, recognize, and treat neonatal sepsis early on for better outcomes.
Guest: 
Dr. Pablo Duran, PhD, MPH, is a pediatrician and neonatologist who serves as the regional advisor on perinatal health for the Pan American Health Organization.
Host: 
Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.
Show links and related content: 
A Simple Action, a Major Impact: Hand Hygiene Against Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis—Pan American Health Organization

Strategies to prevent, detect, and treat neonatal sepsis in the face of AMR—PAHO TV via YouTube

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
As electric scooters and bikes explode in popularity in cities across the globe, concerns about safety abound. Early data shows that injuries from collisions and falls on these devices can include severe head trauma and injuries to internal organs, culminating in increased visits to the hospital. In this episode: Road safety expert Johnathon Ehsani provides an epidemiological overview of the safety data and offers advice for parents and policymakers to prevent injuries.
Guest: 
Johnathon Ehsani, PhD, MPH, is an internationally recognized road safety researcher and an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Host: 
Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
E-Scooters and Micromobility Are Potential Public Health Game Changers for Transportation and Equity—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Injuries From Electric Bikes and Scooters: Illinois, U.S., 2021–2023—American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Crash-Related Protective and Risky Behaviors Among Micromobility Riders: A Nationally Representative Survey—American Journal of Public Health

Riding an electric scooter: the rules—gov.uk

Should Cities Be Welcoming Autonomous Vehicles?—Public Health On Call (July 2026)

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
Accumulating research has linked nitrogen dioxide emissions from gas stoves to exacerbated respiratory issues. A recent study from Case Western Reserve University set out to conduct a large analysis of whether switching to electric stoves could improve breathing conditions, but funding was halted just as early results came in showing significantly improved asthma symptoms. In this episode: what this truncated study can tell us about air quality inside our homes and what's lost when public health research is canceled.
Guest: 
Ana Rule, PhD, MHS, is an associate professor of Environmental Health and Engineering.
Host: 
Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.
Show links and related content: 
Asthma Control Before and After Changing Gas Stoves to Electric Stoves—The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

The EPA halted a study on gas stoves and asthma. But even partial results were striking.—Washington Post

Gas stoves might pose risks to both our planet and health—The Hub

How States Can Better Regulate Indoor Air Quality—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.