Show Notes
In our final episode of the series, we’ll uncover the surprising stories behind the science of the world’s first jab for malaria and how this ‘orphan’ vaccine became a lifesaving intervention that has already reached 5 million children. We look at what's next for the malaria vaccine, the threats of funding cuts to global health and answer the big question – is it working? Here’s who you’ll meet: Angus Hervey: Founder of Fix The News Teresa Chirwa-Ndanga: Journalist & human rights activist, Malawi Dr Joe Cohen: Project Lead, Malaria Vaccine at GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals Dr Mehreen Datoo: Clinical research fellow-Malaria vaccine trials, Oxford University John Bawa: Director, Malaria Vaccine Implementation, PATH. Dr Scott Gordon: Head of Gavi's Malaria Program A Shot At History is produced by Fix The News. Series Producer, Amy Davoren-Rose, Fix The News. Associate Producer & Audio Director, Anthony Badolato, Hear That?
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What happens when the systems we've relied on stop working? And who gets to decide what comes next?
How do you get the world to pay attention to a problem it thinks it's already solved? Around a billion children are exposed to dangerous levels of lead. It can be hiding in cookware, spices and cosmetics, or released through industries like battery recycling. For a child, exposure can mean losing up to six IQ points - irreversible damage that, multiplied across hundreds of millions of children, becomes an enormous drain on human potential. And yet, unlike so many global challenges, we already know how to prevent it. Meet Drew McCartor, President of Pure Earth. For the past 17 years, Drew and his colleagues have been sounding the alarm about lead poisoning: gathering evidence, understanding the scale of the problem and building the playbook for how to solve it. Now, after decades of “yelling into the void”, the world is finally paying attention - and Drew believes we have an opportunity to eliminate lead poisoning altogether. In this episode: Why around a billion children are exposed to dangerous levels of lead The surprising places lead is still hiding - from cookware to spices What losing four to six IQ points means for a child - and an entire country How a Craigslist ad led Drew from unpaid intern to President of Pure Earth Why Pure Earth spent years wondering if they were crazy The young boy in Bangladesh who brought the human cost of lead poisoning home for Drew What changed when the world finally started paying attention Why Drew believes we can eliminate lead poisoning altogether About the title: A Useful Truth comes from a 1786 letter by Benjamin Franklin about lead poisoning: “You will observe with concern how long a useful truth may be known and exist before it's generally received and practiced upon.” Almost 250 years later, it feels remarkably apt.
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