PODCAST
The Forum at HCSPH
by Harvard University
An exchange focused on health issues and controversies of current concern to decision-makers around the world.
Episodes
-
Curbing Gun Violence: Strategies for Change
Nearly 40,000 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S. in 2017 — the most in 20 years. And while mass shootings grab headlines, they account for a small part of gun-related murders in the country. Urban gun violence remains a tremendous — and too often overlooked — burden on underserved...
-
Recreational Marijuana and CBD: Public Attitudes, Science, and the Law
In the last decade, Americans’ relationship with cannabis has transformed: today, dozens of states have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use and American farmers can grow hemp on an industrial scale. Meanwhile, shoppers can find cannabidiol (CBD), which is derived from cannabis but...
-
Unprecedented Natural Disasters in a Time of Climate Change: A Governors Roundtable
Hammered by unprecedented natural disasters, parts of the United States have coped with raging wildfires, catastrophic hurricanes, dangerous heat levels, blizzards and floods. In addition, climate change has introduced new risks and exacerbated existing problems, according to the National Climate...
-
Drug-Resistant Infections: Confronting an Escalating Crisis
Antibiotics are a pillar of modern medicine. They have saved millions of lives. But as the use of antibiotics has increased, so has the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant microbes that have adapted to survive most, or all, of today’s antibiotics. The CDC reports that two million people are...
-
Mental Health and Wellness for Students of Color: Transitioning to College
Amid the bustle on U.S. college campuses, a growing challenge is causing concern. Many college students of color report mental health issues–including depression, anxiety and, among some groups, increased risk for suicide–that are not well understood or effectively addressed. According to surveys...
-
The Measles Outbreak: Why Vaccines Matter
The U.S. officially eliminated measles nearly 20 years ago. Yet, this year, more than 1,100 cases have been reported, despite being preventable by vaccine. The CDC says the majority of cases are among those who were not vaccinated. This Forum looked at the drivers of the 2019 outbreaks and, more...
-
The E-Cigarette Dilemma: A Public Health Perspective
Since their introduction, e-cigarettes have triggered controversy. Often touted as safer alternatives to regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes come with their own risks, including possible nicotine addiction. Use among youth in particular has increased dramatically, and the FDA has proposed tighter...
-
High U.S. Healthcare Costs: What Might Congress Do?
The United States spends more on health care per capita than other developed countries — much more. One recent paper estimated that U.S. costs were 25 percent higher than the next closest country. Recent polls have shown that reducing health care costs has emerged as one of the public’s top...
-
Feeding 10 Billion By 2050: Creating a Sustainable and Healthy Food Future
What does a sustainable and healthy future mean when it comes to food production, consumption and resulting environmental impacts? With nearly a billion people globally going hungry and nearly two billion eating the wrong food, the answer is pressing – especially as we look to a future that needs...
-
Deaths From Pregnancy and Childbirth: Why Are More U.S. Mothers Dying and What Can Be Done?
Maternal mortality dropped by almost half over the last 25 years around the world. However, in startling contrast, deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth doubled in the United States between 2000 and 2014, putting the nation second-to-last in maternal mortality among countries in the...
-
The Spread of Hate and Racism: Confronting a Growing Public Crisis
In 2017, reports of hate crimes in the United States increased for the third consecutive year, according to the FBI. In addition to physical acts, such actions and other messages of racism, intolerance and extremism potentially impact large numbers of people online. In this Forum, experts tackled...
-
Rare Cancers: Charting a Faster Route to Treatment
Rare cancers present doctors, researchers, and patients with a unique set of challenges. Rare cancers often are diagnosed at later stages. Patients typically have limited treatment options, in part because the small number of diagnoses makes gold-standard clinical trials difficult. The picture is...
-
The Health and Economic Concerns of Rural Americans
What do rural Americans say are the biggest problems in their local communities? A new poll finds that drug/opioid abuse and economic concerns are the top challenges. When it comes to drug addiction and abuse, a majority of rural Americans say opioid addiction is a serious problem in their...
-
The 2018 Midterm Elections: Key Issues for Healthcare
Healthcare has again emerged as a pivotal issue for American voters. Conversations around preexisting conditions protections, short-term health plans, drug costs and premium rates are as contentious as ever. Debates around Medicare and Medicaid have grabbed headlines, while the Affordable Care…
more -
Conflicts Over Science And Policy At The EPA: Where Are We Headed?
What is the status of evidence-based environmental policy in the U.S? Sweeping policy shifts, regulatory rollbacks, and decisions such as the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement prompt questions. This Forum provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing environmental science...
-
Self-Driving Cars: Pros and Cons for the Public's Health
No longer the stuff of science fiction, driverless cars already are being tested in numerous U.S. markets. These autonomous vehicles may revolutionize the automotive world, potentially reducing human error, reshaping transportation systems and transforming the country’s roadway infrastructure....
-
College Students and Mental Health: Confronting an Emerging Crisis
Mental health issues are alarmingly on the rise among college students, and a serious gap exists in campus services to help them. What can be done to meet this growing need, spurred by issues of anxiety and depression, that has been described as sudden and dramatic by the Center for Collegiate...
-
Opioids and Addiction: A Governors Roundtable on State Approaches to Treatment
President Trump recently described a plan to tackle the opioid abuse crisis that includes tougher sentencing on dealers and expanding access to treatment. The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis cites the need to move ahead quickly with treatment alternatives...
-
Health in the LGBTQ Community: Improving Care and Confronting Discrimination
More than half of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans report that they have experienced violence, threats or harassment because of their sexuality or gender identity. Nearly one in five LGBTQ people has avoided seeking medical care for fear of discrimination. In this Forum,...
-
Extreme Hurricanes: The Challenges for Puerto Rico and Beyond
Six months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, a panel of experts assessed persistent public health challenges on the island and the outlook for long-term recovery. Power restoration, health care coordination, and medical services delivery on the island are just some of the pressing...
-
The Flu Outbreak: What You Need to Know
More than a half million deaths each year around the world result from flu-related respiratory illnesses. This year, flu has grabbed particular headlines, driven by an early start to flu season and the dominance of a particularly severe flu strain, H3N2. The flu is most dangerous to people with...
-
Discrimination in America: Native American Experiences
How do Native Americans experience discrimination in daily life? A new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health illuminates Native Americans’ personal experiences with discrimination. The report reveals that more than a third of...
-
The Health Data Revolution: Improving Outcomes, Protecting Privacy
Will the next great medical insight come from a clinical trial, a laboratory study — or a database search? Today, health systems and insurers have access to a mountain of data about millions of Americans: what medications they take, their health history, even, in some cases, their genetics—plus…
more -
Discrimination in America: Native American Experiences
How do Native Americans experience discrimination in daily life? A new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health illuminates Native Americans’ personal experiences with discrimination. The report reveals that more than a third of...
-
The Diabetes Epidemic: The Latest on Treatment and Prevention
Despite decades of research and relentless messaging about the importance of diet and exercise, type 2 diabetes remains a major threat to the lives of millions of Americans. As new diagnoses in some populations plateau, rates in others groups, including African Americans and Latinos, are...
-
Breakthroughs in Disease Treatment: The Landscape Moving Forward
Cancer. Alzheimer’s. Precision medicine. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The opioid crisis. These are all areas that stand to benefit from boosted federal funding. On the other hand, other areas may take a hit — immunizations, preparedness for outbreaks and epidemics, and chronic disease…
more -
Discrimination in America: African American Experiences
How do African Americans experience discrimination in daily life? A new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health illuminates reports from African Americans who share their personal experiences with discrimination. With unprecedented...
-
Eradicating Polio: Reaching the Last Child
Once a global scourge, polio is tantalizingly close to eradication with only 11 wild poliovirus cases reported worldwide in 2017. In this Forum event — held in advance of World Polio Day — experts from the Government of Pakistan, UNICEF, Rotary International, and the Harvard Opinion Research...
-
Climate Change: Responses from the Public and Private Sectors
Climate-related programs face challenges from federal regulation rollbacks and proposed spending cuts. In response, some members of the public and private sectors have stepped in, announcing various commitments to take action to curb climate change. What can cities, states, research institutions...
-
The Future of the Affordable Care Act: What Happens Next?
The future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unclear. Republicans have decided not to vote this week on the Graham-Cassidy bill, but promised to revisit ACA repeal-and-replace efforts. Democrats announced recently a single-payer health care proposal. And another hurdle for the ACA looms. With...
-
Tiya Miles on “I’ve Known Rivers”: Slave Resistance and Environmental Consciousness
Tiya Miles is Mary Henrietta Graham Distinguished University Professor (University of Michigan); author of Tales from the Haunted South: Dark Tourism and Memories of Slavery from the Civil War Era (2015); and Founder of ECO Girls, an environmental and cultural project for girls in urban Southeast...
-
Supplements and Health: Sorting the Facts
“Lose belly fat.” “Build muscle.” “Lower your cholesterol.” “Improve your sex drive.” Browse the shelves of any supermarket or pharmacy, and you will find dietary supplements that promise to do all this, and more. Supplements are a multi-billion-dollar business, and today more than half of…
more -
The Opioid Crisis: A Governors Roundtable
Opioid overdoses claim the lives of 91 Americans every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this Forum event, four former governors offered candid insights into how government policy can help, exploring what works and what doesn’t. They spoke about experiences…
more -
The Opioid Epidemic and Bipartisanship: A Conversation with Senator Kelly Ayotte
The former United States Senator from New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte, discusses her career path, successes and leadership lessons learned on the Voices in Leadership program.
-
Race and Policing: State and Local Perspectives
Building on two previous Forums about race, criminal justice and health (from February 2015 and October 2015), this event examined specific approaches and models to address the complexities of race and policing. Experts in law enforcement, public health, community relations and the law spoke....
-
Marijuana: The Latest Scientific Findings and Legalization
California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Nevada became the latest states to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing to 28 the number of states that have okayed the drug for medicinal use, recreational use, or both. Even more states have rules that allow certain kinds of cannabis extracts to be…
more -
The 21st Century Cures Act: Implications for Research and Drug Development
The passage of the 21st Century Cures Act has drawn both applause and criticism. A sweeping bipartisan effort with multiple components, the law dramatically boosts funding for medical research, particularly in areas such as cancer and brain disease. The law also relaxes regulatory processes for...
-
The Future of Food: Feeding the Planet During Climate Change
By 2050, a projected 9.7 billion people will inhabit the planet. How will we produce enough nutritious food to support this burgeoning population and ensure access to food resources, particularly as climate change stresses the environment? This Forum explored innovative methods and systems for...
-
The 2016 US Presidential Election: Examining Possible Health Care Futures
Health care has emerged as a hotly debated issue of the 2016 presidential election, with the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees expressing starkly different views on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While approximately 20 million people have gained healthcare coverage since the law’s...
-
The Chronic Pain Epidemic: What's to Be Done? | The Forum at HCSPH
More than 100 million Americans struggle with chronic pain, according to one Institute of Medicine estimate, at an annual cost of as much as $635 billion in treatment and lost productivity. Further, the misuse of potent opioid painkillers, while increasing risk of addiction and abuse, can confuse...
-
The Domestic Violence Crisis: Mobilizing the Public and Private Sectors | The Forum at HCSPH
According to the CDC, nearly 29 million U.S. women and 16 million U.S. men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. Most of those experiences occur before the age of twenty-five. The evidence is clear that domestic violence takes a physical...
-
Child Care and Health in America: Today's Challenges for Tomorrow's Children | The Forum at HCSPH
Quality child care can help children develop lasting social, emotional, and learning skills and can promote healthy eating and play. But high-quality care, whether it comes from a nanny, a sitter, a daycare, or a preschool, can be difficult to find—and to afford. Drawing on the findings of a…
more -
Zika in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Beyond: Risks and Response | The Forum at HCSPH
With more than 23,100 cases of Zika in the continental U.S. and U.S. territories — including four newly reported non-travel cases in Miami-Dade County, Fla — this Forum continued a conversation begun in March 2016 to discuss the risks and response to the spreading Zika virus. The focus was on the...
-
Eating Disorders, Mental Health and Body Image: The Public Health Connections | The Forum at HCSPH
More than 30 million Americans — women and men, children and adults — grapple with eating disorders. These complex illnesses, which include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, severely undermine health and cost lives. This event explored the many dimensions to eating disorders…
more -
Health in the American Workplace | The Forum at HCSPH
Experts take on the concerns most expressed by American employees in a poll done by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The panelists also describe lessons learned from employers that cultivate healthy environments – to see if there are feasible...
-
Organ Transplantation: Medical, Technological and Ethical Challenges | The Forum at HSPH
People die each day waiting on lists for lifesaving organs, and the rise of chronic diseases such as diabetes only increases the demand. With the need for scientific innovation and donor support becoming ever more critical, this Forum explored biomedical advances that promise to address the...
-
Asleep at the Wheel: Drowsy Driving and Public Health | The Forum at HSPH
Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol has long been established as a public safety hazard. But what about hitting the road while fatigued? An estimated average of 83,000 accidents involving drowsy driving occurred annually between 2005 and 2009, according to the National Highway...
-
Building Resiliency in an Age of Terrorism: Public Health Perspectives
A series of terrorist attacks — including recent bombings in Belgium — has shaken the public’s sense of security as they go about the most mundane tasks of daily life. Images of carnage at subway stations, restaurants, workplaces, concerts and sporting events have flashed across the world’s…
more -
Health Care Inequalities in America: The Need for Continuing Reform
Over the last two years, we have seen major expansions in health care coverage through both federal and state insurance exchanges, as well as by expanding Medicaid coverage. This Forum examined whether these efforts to extend coverage have improved the health care experiences of low-income...
-
Drug Trials: Challenges for Alzheimer’s and Other Urgent Needs | The Forum at HSPH
This Forum explored the challenges and complexities of drug trials, and how they impact disease treatment and prevention — particularly for conditions that currently have little or no therapeutic options. As a case study, the panel discussed Alzheimer’s and several drugs in development for that...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
An exchange focused on health issues and controversies of current concern to decision-makers around the world.
HOSTED BY
Harvard University
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Forum at HCSPH have?
The Forum at HCSPH currently has 123 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Forum at HCSPH about?
An exchange focused on health issues and controversies of current concern to decision-makers around the world.
How often does The Forum at HCSPH release new episodes?
The Forum at HCSPH publishes regularly with 123 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Forum at HCSPH?
You can listen to The Forum at HCSPH on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Forum at HCSPH?
The Forum at HCSPH is created and hosted by Harvard University.
URL copied to clipboard!