Blogs - This Week In Public Health

Communication

Beyond “Trust the Science”: How Public Health Must Relearn How to Engage Communities

Public health is facing a paradox. On the one hand, never before has scientific evidence played such a visible role in public life. During COVID-19, epidemiological models shaped national policy. Scientists became household names. Research moved at historic speed. On the other hand, trust fractured. Scientists were harassed. Communities disengaged. Evidence was reframed as ideology. […]

Read more →

Climate

Extreme Weather Is Overloading Health Systems

On a humid July afternoon, the emergency department in a mid-sized city is already strained. Ambulances arrive nonstop. Elderly residents struggle with heat exhaustion. A dialysis patient collapses after missing treatment because the clinic shut down during a storm. The charge nurse scans the waiting room and quietly wonders: how much more can this system […]

Read more →

Society

Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy and Misinformation

We are continuously challenged by vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. These issues have been central to discussions at several international forums and publications, including a special section on trust in public health by the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). Building trust and trustworthiness in public health has emerged as a crucial theme for 2026, highlighting […]

Read more →

Environment

Why 5G Matters for Bees, Birds, and Public Health

Just after sunrise, a small flock of migratory birds lifts from a patch of coastal marshland. They rise, circle, and attempt to orient—yet something is off. Their compass seems scrambled. Instead of settling into their usual migratory path, the birds loop again, drifting dangerously close to the new 5G small-cell transmitters mounted along a nearby […]

Read more →

Commentary

“The Great Healthcare Plan” Sounds Simple. Healthcare Isn’t.

If you’ve ever tried to compare health insurance plans, argue with a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), or figure out why your prescription costs more than your rent, you know the U.S. healthcare system has a special talent for making basic things feel impossible. That’s why a short, punchy policy document like The Great Healthcare Plan […]

Read more →

Health tips

How Much Water We Really Need After Age 40

On a cool morning in Salzburg, a 52-year-old office worker arrives at a clinic for a routine health study visit. She hasn’t eaten for 10 hours, her urine sample is collected, and her blood is drawn. She thinks her hydration is “fine”—after all, she drinks tea, coffee, and eats fruits daily. But when her results […]

Read more →

News

Whiplash: January 15, 2026

At approximately 9 p.m. last night, SAMHSA funding was restored. I’m glad for that, but I’m also so freaking furious about the behavior, the short-sightedness, and the haphazard way public health is being handled by the federal government. I told some of my colleagues it feels like we’re dating a parody of a person with […]

Read more →

Policy

The Implications of RFK Jr.’s Changes to the Childhood Vaccine Schedule on Public Health

Recently, RFK Jr. announced sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, raising significant concerns among public health experts. As the new policy takes effect, various stakeholders, from medical professionals to parents, are grappling with understanding the potential implications of these modifications. Understanding the Changes The alterations involve recommendations from RFK Jr.’s newly appointed vaccine advisory […]

Read more →

News

HHS Grant Terminations: What Types of Programs Are Being Cut—and Why It Matters

Update: 9:47 pm It looks like the SAMHSA grants were restored. Such a terrible whiplash of a day. I said in another post that working with the feds on health is like dating a gross parody of a person with borderline personality disorder. https://democrats-appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/delauro-statement-hhs-reinstating-billions-addiction-and-mental-health-grants We obtained a copy of internal records detailing terminated U.S. Department […]

Read more →

Uncategorized

Why Nerve Agents Still Pose a Critical Public Health Risk

A little after sunrise, a rural health clinic in South Asia opens its doors. Within minutes, three patients stumble in, eyes burning, breathing shallow, confused, terrified. The symptoms come fast, and the local nurse recognizes something unusual. Not smoke. Not food poisoning. Something more dangerous. Something chemical. Scenes like this remain rare, but when they […]

Read more →