A Challenging Time for Public Health: Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association

In recent months, public health advocates in the United States have raised concerns about proposed changes to vaccine policy, cuts to food assistance programs, rollbacks of environmental protections and reductions in public health staffing. Chief among them has been Dr. Georges Benjamin who, as executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA) since 2002, has led national efforts to create a healthier America. Raise the Line host Lindsey Smith recently sat down with Dr. Benjamin to understand more about the current state of public health and explore the path forward, and learned that a top priority for APHA is battling the misinformation that Dr. Benjamin believes is fueling support for many of these changes. “The challenge we have right now is that as a society, we've gone into our little corners and live in our own ecosystems. More people are getting their information from a single source and they're not validating that information to make sure that it's true.” Tune into this thoughtful and timely conversation to hear Dr. Benjamin’s advice for curbing the spread of misinformation, how APHA is trying to help people understand the value of public health initiatives, and what the U.S. can learn from other countries about improving public health. 

Mentioned in this episode:

American Public Health Association

If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast