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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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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Communication

Safety Culture in Hospitals: Building a Safer Future

Safety culture in hospitals means that everyone works together to keep patients and staff safe. It is a shared belief held by all hospital members that safety is the top priority. Hospitals that focus on safety culture can reduce mistakes, improve teamwork, and build trust. What Is Safety Culture? Safety culture is all about making […]

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Wellbeing

Are Vaccines Too Expensive to Save Lives?

A century ago, public health was a community project. Governments and public institutions developed vaccines, distributed them, and measured success not by revenue but by lives saved. Today, vaccine development is faster, smarter, and largely private—but the economics driving it may be failing the very people vaccines are meant to protect. A 2025 opinion article […]

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News

Next Week in Public Health, November 6, 2025

We met many interesting people earlier this week at APHA while working with WE in the World. If you hop over to our blog page, you can see a bunch of the recaps that we wrote and a special article about how AI is being used to combat misinformation. Here’s what else is rising in […]

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