Blogs - This Week In Public Health

Commentary

Destined to Suffer. How Prosperity Theology Is Shaping U.S. Health Policy

What if your health wasn’t just a matter of biology or economics, but of divine judgment? For centuries, American culture has been shaped by an unspoken theology: that the healthy are favored, and the sick are suspect. Today, as proposed cuts to Medicaid target the most vulnerable, it is worth asking. Are we still living […]

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Policy

Why “Evidence-Based” Policy Needs Politics Too

Public health professionals are trained to see evidence as the gold standard. The logic seems simple: if research shows what works, governments should act accordingly. Yet, as the authors note, policy isn’t medicine. In clinical settings, evidence guides treatment for an individual patient. But health policy affects entire populations, and every policy choice reflects competing […]

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Analytics

Most COVID-19 Tweets Linked to Low-Quality Info

March 2020: the world was locking down, and millions of people opened Twitter for answers. What they found was a storm—data dashboards, rumors, home remedies, and official updates jumbled together. Amid that digital noise, how many sources were actually credible? A new study from Concordia University’s Rozita Haghighi and Mohsen Farhadloo answers that question with […]

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Health tips

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Overview and Recent Policy Changes

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances, particularly during menopause. It involves the administration of hormones: most commonly estrogen and progesterone, to help alleviate issues such as hot flashes, mood swings, and increased risk of osteoporosis. What is Hormone Replacement Therapy? HRT is primarily prescribed to: By […]

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Health tips

Melatonin May Not Be as Harmless as We Thought

For years, melatonin has been marketed as a gentle, natural aid in helping people fall asleep faster. However, new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions is raising concerns about the long-term effects of taking it. A large-scale analysis of more than 130,000 adults with insomnia found that those prescribed melatonin for over a year […]

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Uncategorized

New Evidence: Pollution’s Surprising Role in High Blood Pressure

Imagine a nurse in Beijing finishing a long commute on a smog-filled day. Her smartwatch pings: blood pressure 145/92 mm Hg. She eats well, exercises, doesn’t smoke—so why the sudden spike? According to a major 2025 review in Frontiers in Public Health by Li Che and Zilong Wang, her exposure to polluted air may be […]

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AI

From Data Overload to Usable Insight: How Public Health Teams Can Bridge the Gap

After a week of incredible conversations at the APHA Annual Meeting, one thing stood out: Public health teams don’t need more data. They need usable data. Everywhere we turned, leaders, practitioners, and students echoed the same frustration. They’re inundated with dashboards, reports, and PDFs, but what they really need are insights that help them make […]

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Analytics

The Transformative Potential of the Galleri Test

In the field of oncology, early detection of cancer remains THE pivotal factor in improving patient outcomes. This challenge is being addressed by a groundbreaking innovation, the Galleri test. Developed by GRAIL, the Galleri test is a multi-cancer early detection blood test that analyzes cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to identify more than 50 types of cancer […]

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Epi

Bird Flu Is Back: Millions of Birds Lost, Rising Human Risk, and Why Scientists Are Worried This Winter

As migratory birds make their seasonal journey south, they’re carrying more than just wings and feathers; many are transporting the H5N1 avian influenza virus, better known as bird flu. Over the past month, the U.S. has seen a dramatic resurgence of outbreaks, killing more than 3.5 million turkeys, chickens, and ducks across dozens of states. […]

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Policy

Why U.S. Health Care Premiums Are Rising – and What Can Be Done

Do you have sticker shock? I do. My family’s premiums are increasing by nearly $10,000 next year. And I’m not unique. Health insurance premiums in the United States are rising at a concerning rate for families, employers, and public health professionals. From a public health standpoint, increasing premiums reveals deeper issues in how our healthcare […]

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