CDC Foundation Releases Season 3 of Contagious Conversations Podcast

Episodes include conversations with CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, Pediatrician and Public Health Advocate Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Executive Officer of the National Academy of Medicine Dr. Michael McGinnis, and President and CEO of the CDC Foundation Dr. Judy Monroe

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CDC Foundation

Sep 11, 2019, 11:04 ET

ATLANTA, Sept. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Who are the advocates behind the response to the Flint water crisis? How has West Africa recovered from the Ebola crisis and prepared itself for future health threats? How is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) working with partners to eliminate HIV? These are some of the topics discussed in Season 3 of the CDC Foundation's podcast, Contagious Conversations, which launched today.

The third season of Contagious Conversations features four in-depth conversations with experts who are sharing their perspectives on some of the world's toughest health challenges, including advocating for safe water for the children of Flint, tackling the Ebola crisis, ending the AIDS epidemic and developing policy that creates healthier lives.

New Contagious Conversations episodes include:

Episode 7: On the Frontlines of Public Service
Putting Science and Data into Action with CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield

Dr. Robert Redfield shares his career path to leading CDC, his thoughts on eliminating HIV in the United States by 2030 and why opioid disorder is the public health crisis of our time, and what it's like to work with a team that puts science and data into action to improve the human condition.

"When you have the science that can improve the human condition, it needs to be used. The reality is that we have the science to end the AIDS epidemic in the United States."

- Podcast comments from Dr. Robert Redfield, director, CDC

Episode 8: An Advocate for Flint
Community-Centered Crisis Response with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

Pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha shares how she became an advocate for the people of Flint, Mich., during the water crisis, and discusses the community-centered work that is creating a better future for families and children in Flint today.

"The burden of lead, just like so many of our environmental contaminants, does not fall equally on our nation's children. There is a disparate burden of exposure, which is why lead is very well known as a form of environmental injustice."

- Podcast comments from Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, pediatrician and founder and director,

Michigan State University and Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative

Episode 9: Celebrating the Invisible
Prevention, Policy and the Root Causes of Death with Dr. Michael McGinnis

Dr. Michael McGinnis discusses his role leading a team that worked on eradicating smallpox, including the time he had to commission an elephant for his team to access a hard-to-reach area. He also shares more about his pivotal work related to causes of death in the United States and prevention efforts to address disease threats.

"In prevention, what we're celebrating when we can celebrate is the absence of a disease…to be more appreciative of the successes that we have which are silent."

- Podcast comments from Dr. Michael McGinnis, Leonard D. Schaeffer executive officer, National Academy of Medicine

Episode 10: The Answer is on the Playground
Stories of Survival and Resilience from West Africa with Dr. Judy Monroe

Dr. Judy Monroe shares her experiences from a recent trip to West Africa, including meeting Ebola survivors and the many individuals who are making an impact on global health. She views first-hand the progress since the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the ongoing challenges and needs. She also discusses the importance of innovation and investment in global health security.

"Let's give children the opportunities to live into adulthood to live to their full potential. The world needs creative minds. We need great citizens. We need folks that are there for the greater good. If folks don't even have a chance to live to age five, we've lost how much brainpower, how much opportunity?"

- Podcast comments from Dr. Judy Monroe, president and CEO, CDC Foundation

To listen to Contagious Conversations, subscribe or download on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcasting app. For more information, visit www.cdcfoundation.org/conversations.

About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC's critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched approximately 1,000 programs and raised over $800 million. The CDC Foundation managed nearly 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 130 countries last year. For more information, visit www.cdcfoundation.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE CDC Foundation