7/4/2022
Podcasts have been gaining popularity with people, businesses, organizations, and industries, as an asynchronous medium to share information with diverse audiences.
Podcasts are digital audio files, often released in an episodic format, made available on the internet for downloading or streaming from a computer or mobile device through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds.
In the United States and Canada, podcast consumption across all genres or categories has been growing steadily since 2008, with the number of podcast listeners expected to double between 2019 and 2024. Many people who listen to podcasts tend to show a preference for this medium over books and scientific journals.
In the context of public health, podcasting is being recognized as an effective medium to disseminate health-related information to the general public, and to bridge the gap between evidence-based research and students or practitioners.
Public Health Insight launched a weekly podcast in March 2020. The podcast is now ranked in the top 5% of all podcasts globally.
The podcast covers all things public health and global health, from the sustainable development goals to the social determinants of health, as well as interesting dialogues about the diverse career opportunities that exist in the fields.
Since its launch in March 2020, the podcast has featured more than 40 high-profile guests and has built an audience in more than 3,500 cities in over 130 countries.
Many podcasts were launched or gained more traction after the onset of the pandemic. The collective goal of these podcasts is to introduce public health and global health to new audiences and inspire the next generation of professionals in the field.
Public Health Insight would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge some of our favourite podcasts in the public health and global health space.
The following is a collection of some of our favourite public health or global health podcasts that have been active in 2022, who publish at least one episode bi-weekly (or more frequently).
Let’s begin…
Hosted by: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Focus: Science and evidence-based insights on the public health news and information of the day, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosted by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Focus: Discusses emerging infectious diseases and how they impact our world.
Hosted by: University of Michigan School of Public Health
Focus: Discusses population health issues from a variety of perspectives, from the microscopic to the macroeconomic, the social to the environmental, and explore the factors that affect the health of all of us, at a population level.
Hosted by: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Focus: Features health officials and public health leadership who are on the front lines of state and territorial public health. The series capitalizes on current public health issues and delivers timely, thoughtful perspectives on the value of public health through the lens of state/territorial health officials and other subject matter experts.
Hosted by: The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Focus: Features in-depth interviews with top public health officials.
Hosted by: The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health & School of Media & Public Affairs
Focus: Explores the public health landscape and how it impacts your personal health and wellbeing. In each episode we tackle some of the most pressing health concerns of today.
Hosted by: Bloomberg American Health Initiative, a project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Focus: Some of the most pressing challenges to public health in the United States, such as Addiction and Overdose, Environmental Challenges, Obesity and the Food System, Risks to Adolescent Health and Violence.
Hosted by: National Public Health Information Coalition
Focus: Latest public health topics, such as impact of COVID-19 on stress, veteran health, and how to make effective public health communication strategies.
Hosted by: Dr. Jessica Steier, Dr. Andrea Love
Focus: Objective, critical appraisal of available evidence on health-related topics relevant to listeners’ daily lives.
Hosted by: Dr. Caroline Kingori
Focus: Reflect on public health related topics to inspire us to action, such as health and technology, oncology and interdisciplinary health.
Hosted by: Todd De Voe
Focus: Trends and issues that impact Emergency Management, first responders, military, education, public safety, communications, disaster volunteer organizations, public health, humanitarian groups, NGOs
Hosted by: Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan
Focus: Delves into the broader public health concerns and issues facing everyday Rhode Islanders. From discussions about safeguarding against future pandemics to actionable plans for families to help keep their loved ones safe from preventable diseases.
Hosted by: Sara Quintero
Focus: Delivering accurate information concerning different topics or questions in public health, such as minority disparities in health,LGBTQ+and public health, and weekly US COVID-19 updates.
Hosted by: NYU School of Global Public Health
Focus: From student internships to cutting edge faculty research, from alumni insights to the insider scoop on campus life.
From The Front Row: Student Voices in Public Health
Hosted by: Alexis Clark, Lexi Fahrion, Emma Meador, Alex Murra
Focus: Inside look at the public health student experience at the University of Iowa. Students share their thoughts and perspectives on student life and current issues facing public health professionals, such as woman and children’s mental health, racial disparities in health access, and diversity, equity and inclusion within public health.
Public Health Epidemiology Careers
Hosted by: Dr. Charlotte H. Huntley
Focus: This podcast explores public health careers, epidemiology, and public health entrepreneurship. It encourages its listeners to think creatively and use innovation, while also helping you see public health everywhere.
Hosted by: Sujani Siva
Focus: Share career stories, inspiration, and guidance for building public health careers.
The Public Health Millennial Career Stories Podcast
Hosted by: Omari Richins
Focus: Bring together Professionals and students to hear their unique and diverse public health career stories with tips and insights to help you along your public health career journey.
Hosted by: Dr. Xand Van Tulleken, Rochelle Burges
Focus: This podcast aims to break down disciplinary, sectoral and geographic boundaries to really understand the diverse and complex issues impacting our health.
Hosted by: Dr. Erica Di Ruggiero, Ophelia Michaelides
Focus: A podcast about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how research conducted by faculty and students at the University of Toronto is helping to achieve them. Specifically, they explore SDG3: Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and the ways in which they intersect with the other SDGs, like poverty, hunger, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and climate action.
American Journal of Public Health Podcast
Hosed byt: Alfredo Morabia
Focus: Highlighting the latest research in public health, through featuring articles from the latest AJPH issue. Topics include pandemic prevention, food insecurity, and health policy in the US.
Hosted by: Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
Focus: Rhe online companion site of the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. Topics covered include; racial equity in healthcare access, health literacy, and public health surveillance.
Hosted by: Dr. Garry Aslanyan
Focus: The aim of Global Health Matters is to discuss and share experiences and views on different aspects of global health research, with a focus on low- and middle-income country perspectives. Key topics: COVID-19 Pandemic, gender equality and woman in global health leadership.
Contain This: The Latest in Global Health Security
Hosted by: Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Focus Provide insightful information and updates on what is shaping the future of global health. Topics include: woman in global health, health leadership, and health security.
Hosted by: The Lancet
Focus: Each episode seeks to inform, challenge, and delight listeners with stories at the crossroads of health, science, policy and current global affairs. Topics include pregnancy in COVID-19, health and climate change and racial inequities in the US.
Hosted by: UCTV
Focus: Global Health (Audio) focuses on world health issues, disease control and growing concerns in public health. Topics include: clean water crisis, digital health and universal mental health coverage.
Perspectives on Health and Tech
Hosted by: Cerner
Focus: This podcast features conversations with industry experts on the latest healthcare and technology topics, such as supporting digital innovation in children’s healthcare, advancing data and network strategies, and best practices for managing public health with technology and data.
Hosted by: Shania Bhopa
Focus: The Global Health Collective explores some of the global health issues facing out world and the research and work being done in response. Key Topics include the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Global Health, Disease prevention, Climate Prevention, Health disparities
Hosted by: NIEHS Partnerships for Environmental Public Health
Focus: This podcast series explores how environmental exposures affect our health. Each episode highlights ways researchers work in partnership with community groups to understand and address environmental health issues.
*Excluded from the list were health and fitness podcasts, as well as podcasts focused on medical science or individual-level health. This list also does not include podcasts published on a seasonal schedule, rather than in an episodic manner.
