In just seven days last June, the U.S. Supreme Court set back public health by 50 years. The court’s conservative majority rolled back efforts to address the pressing threat of climate change, expanded access to deadly firearms, and eliminated the right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade. Earlier, it had eviscerated public health powers … Continue reading “Public health on the docket at the Supreme Court”
This week, President Biden said what millions of Americans have been hoping to hear since the spring of 2020: “The pandemic is over.” I am deeply concerned that this declaration is not only premature, but dangerous. As others have noted, it will now be even harder to persuade Americans get the new bivalent boosters. It’ll … Continue reading “Covid-19: Now is not the time to declare victory”
I’ve been thinking a lot in recent weeks about action and impact. The spark for this musing was the news that CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has launched an ambitious drive to remake the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into a more nimble, transparent, and action-oriented agency. I applaud that initiative. But I was also … Continue reading “Changing the stereotype of academia”
Every August, I have the honor of welcoming the newest cohort of students to our School. It is always a joy. Here’s my address to the incoming class: One of my favorite things about being dean is getting to know each one of you. Already, I know you are a remarkable class. You were selected … Continue reading “A message to new students: Clarity is power”
Recently, I participated in a panel on the impacts of politics on public health hosted by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Here I share my thoughts on why we must claim and amplify our collective influence as non-partisan advocates of evidence-based practices that advance the public good. This field has never … Continue reading “Public health must engage in politics. Here’s why.”
There is a women’s health crisis in this country. And it is about to get much worse. The United States has the highest rates of maternal mortality in the industrialized world. Women are twice as likely to die from complications of pregnancy or childbirth in the U.S. than in Canada or the United Kingdom. For … Continue reading “The crisis of maternal mortality”
Paul Farmer never accepted the status quo. That’s what made him so remarkable. And it’s why his untimely death at age 62 is such an enormous loss for the world. Inequality is status quo. Racism is status quo. The notion that the poor will live in misery and die from diseases that are eminently treatable—that’s … Continue reading “The status quo must not stand”