This week’s headlines: One expert sees parallels between Zika virus and the AIDS epidemic, plus the new discovery revealing that our intestines have taste buds, and we'll tell you where the most well-rested people in America live.

This Week in Health: Are there parallels between Zika and the AIDS epidemic?

A large new study of more than 1.3 million people finds high rates of diabetes and hypertension in India. We'll speak to experts about what could be driving this trend—and how health systems in India and around the world must adapt to address the growing threat from non-communicable diseases. You'll hear from Pascal Geldsetzer, a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Global Health and Population, Lindsay Jaacks, assistant professor of global health, and Rifat Atun, professor of global health systems.

March 8, 2018: India's epidemiological transition

On February 14, 2018, a gunman opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 people and wounding 17 more. That shooting and the students who survived have reignited a national conversation about guns under the banner "Never Again." On March 24, people across the country will gather for the March for Our Lives to protest gun violence—and to call for changes in firearm policy. Ahead of the nationwide marches we spoke to David Hemenway, director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, and one of America’s top firearms researchers. Hemenway discussed why these student-led protests may finally be the tipping point for gun legislation in America. Plus—he explained the public health approach to preventing gun violence and shared the changes to firearms policy that could have the biggest impact on saving lives.

March 22, 2018: Living with guns rather than dying with guns

Billions of dollars in global health aid are distributed around the world each year. But the process by which that funding is distributed—often by large multilateral agencies— is frequently opaque and difficult to understand. In this week's episode we explore the state of the global health aid landscape—and examine ways to improve transparency and make aid distribution more equitable. You'll hear from Jesse Bump, executive director of the Takemi Program in International Health and lecturer on global health policy. Bump and several co-authors recently wrote about global health aid in a special supplement in the journal Health Policy and Planning. We spoke with him about the aid distribution process, how it can be improved—and importantly—how the countries that receive this aid can have a louder voice in the process.

April 12, 2018: Is global health aid distributed fairly?

The recent scandal over Facebook's use of personal information has shone fresh light on one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century:  How can we protect our privacy when we are willingly—or unwillingly—giving vast amounts of data to companies like Facebook, Google, or Amazon. But those technology companies aren’t the only ones using personal information. This kind of data is also at the core of the work of international agencies delivering humanitarian aid. In this week's episode we speak with Dan Scarnecchia, a researcher with the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology based at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Scarnecchia and his colleagues recently wrote the Signal Code, which represents a human rights approach to privacy and data during crises. We'll examine how the humanitarian field is now grappling with ever-changing technology and increasing reliance on data and personal information.

April 19, 2018: Privacy as a human right

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March 8, 2018: India's epidemiological transition

Harvard Public Health

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