Best European Centre For Disease Prevention And Control Podcasts (2025)

1
Risk Wire - Episode 1 - Linda Trönnberg & Theresa Enkirch - Hepatitis A Spike in Europe: What’s Behind the Surge? 14:46

10d ago14:46

14:46

Why are hepatitis A cases rising sharply in parts of Europe - and what can public health professionals do about it? In this episode of ECDC on Air, Linda Trönnberg - Principal Expert in Food-, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases, and Theresa Enkirch - Expert in Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiology break down the latest hepatitis A outbreak affectin…

1
Episode 62 - Andrea Würz & Sarah Earnshaw Blomquist - The 5 Cs of Vaccination 26:03

1M ago26:03

26:03

In this episode of #ECDCOnAir, the discussion revolves around vaccination acceptance, exploring the factors influencing people's health choices, the role of social and behavioural sciences, the impact of misinformation, and the trends in vaccination rates across Europe. ECDC experts - Sarah Earnshaw Blomquist and Andrea Würz provide insights into h…

1
Episode 61 - Maria Keramarou - The Big Measles Comeback 21:08

2M ago21:08

21:08

In this episode of ECDC: On Air, Maria Keramarou, ECDC's expert in vaccine-preventable diseases, discusses the rising cases of measles in Europe. We explore the highly contagious nature of measles, the importance of vaccination, the resurgence of cases post-COVID, and the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. Learn more about the Euro…

1
Episode 60 - Charlotte Deogan - Europe's SDG Reality Check 15:42

2M ago15:42

15:42

In this episode, we explore Europe's progress toward the 2030 SDGs with Charlotte Deogan, expert in communicable diseases at ECDC. This episode unpacks SDG Target 3.3, which aims to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and combat viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections by 2030. As ECDC releases its first comprehensive monitor…

1
Episode 59 - Veronica Cristea - Beyond numbers: Understanding TB 21:45

4M ago21:45

21:45

Marking World TB Day 2025, this episode explores the data on tuberculosis in Europe based on the latest surveillance report, published recently by ECDC and WHO. Veronica Cristea, Scientific Officer at ECDC, discusses the overall TB situation in the EU/EEA, the impact of COVID-19, challenges in treatment success, and the concerning rise in TB cases …

1
Episode 58 - Alessandro Broglia and Katriina Willgert - Avian Flu – The Next Pandemic Threat? 28:39

4M ago28:39

28:39

This episode explores the growing threat of avian influenza, which has led to massive outbreaks in bird populations and an increasing number of cases in mammals. With nearly 70 human cases and one death confirmed in the US recently linked to the H5N1 subtype, concerns are rising about its potential to spread among humans in Europe and cause a pande…

1
Episode 57 - Leonidas Alexakis - Health Task Force in Action - DRC Congo 12:15

6M ago12:15

12:15

In this episode of ECDC on Air, we speak with Leonidas Alexakis, an expert in epidemic intelligence at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).Leonidas shares insights from his recent deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the European Health Task Force. He discusses his role in supporting the response…

1
Episode 56 - Eeva Broberg - RSV - A Winter Threat To The Vulnerable 19:43

7M ago19:43

19:43

In this interview, we sit down with Eeva Broberg, ECDC Principal Expert on respiratory viruses, who tells us why respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an often overlooked disease which represents a considerable risk to certain groups every winter. Eeva also talks about the impact on healthcare, and whether current treatments like monoclonal antibodi…

1
Episode 55 - Agnė Bajorinienė - Bridging the Borders of Public Health 22:47

9M ago22:47

22:47

In this episode, we sit down with Agnė Bajorinienė - International Relations Officer at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), to discuss the agency’s role in preparing Western Balkan, Türkiye and EU candidate countries for full EU membership from public health perspective. Agnė explains the importance of public health coope…

1
Episode 54 - Csaba Kodmon - Chasing The Clones 15:35

9M ago15:35

15:35

In this episode, we delve into the world of tuberculosis (TB) with ECDC microbiology expert Csaba Kodmon. We explore the importance of molecular surveillance in tracking genetic variations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, identifying emerging strains, and preventing epidemics. Csaba discusses cross-border molecular clusters and how data from EU membe…

1
Episode 53 - Andrea Ammon - The Farewell Episode 23:51

1y ago23:51

23:51

In this episode, we make a final interview with ECDC Director Andrea Ammon, who will soon be retiring after a long career in public health. Andrea Ammon speaks about her 19 years at ECDC, including 9 years as Director, and reflects on how the agency has evolved. She also tells us about the most memorable moments and challenges, including managing t…

1
Episode 52 - Diamantis Plachouras - Healthcare-associated infections 14:47

1y ago14:47

14:47

According to the latest ECDC survey, each year, 4.3 million patients in hospitals in the EU/EEA acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection during their stay in the hospital. Diamantis Plachouras - ECDC Principal Expert in Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections tells us why this issue needs to be tackled as swift as …

1
Episode 51 - Gerjon Ikink - Exploring the Future of Health 19:26

1y ago19:26

19:26

Public health institutes across Europe increasingly recognise the value of examining public health trends and imagining what the future may look like according to different scenarios. In this episode, Gerjon Ikink, ECDC principal expert on public health foresight, explains what foresight is, why it is important in public health, and how it can be t…

1
Episode 50 - Carlos Carvalho - The Power of Digital Health Data 32:54

1+ y ago32:54

32:54

For today's episode we sit down with Carlos Carvalho - ECDC's Principal Expert in Digital Surveillance to talk about the state of play of making the public health data flow up to speed in the third decade of the XXI-st century and usable for modern surveillance of infectious diseases. How far are we in creating the fully digital health data system …

1
Episode 49 - Nick Bundle - Why Monitoring Respiratory Viruses Matters 25:19

1+ y ago25:19

25:19

In this episode we take a closer look at the data collection for respiratory viruses and why we should take this more seriously than just a cough or a sneeze. Nick Bundle, ECDC expert on respiratory viruses, also gives us the lowdown on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), a new surveillance tool which presents weekly data …

1
Episode 48 - Otilia Mårdh - Let's Talk About (Safe) Sex 22:51

1+ y ago22:51

22:51

On today's episode we are joined by Otilia Mårdh, Medical Epidemiologist at ECDC, to discuss the latest reports on sexually transmitted infections in Europe. We explore the key findings from the recent reports, discuss the implications for public health, and uncover the strategies being implemented to address the rising rates of STIs. You can find …

1
Episode 47 - Ines Steffens - Eurosurveillance 22:41

1+ y ago22:41

22:41

On today's episode, we sit down with Ines Steffens, editor-in-chief of Eurosurveillance. Eurosurveillance is an open-access peer-reviewed scientific journal devoted to the epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases. Published weekly, with 50 issues per year, it features short rapid communications, longer in-depth re…

1
Episode 46 - Special Feature - Five Scientists - One Health 23:55

1+ y ago23:55

23:55

Today's episode is special one, and is hosted by James Ramsey, Head of the Communication Unit at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). He is joined by experts from ECDC,EFSA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to discuss the One Health prespective. Our well-being…

1
Episode 45 - Theresa Enkirch - A Closer Look At Viruses 16:32

1+ y ago16:32

16:32

For this episode of ECDC on Air, we sit down with ECDC’s expert in genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics – Theresa Enkirch. Theresa gives us an overview of what genetic epidemiologists and bioinformaticians do and how that has changed the current epidemiological world. She also talks about a brand new ECDC course – the GenEpiBioTrain – that can p…

1
Episode 44 - Anastasia Pharris - World AIDS Day 2023 16:15

1+ y ago16:15

16:15

Every year ⁠World AIDS Day⁠ is marked on the 1st of December. Beginning in 1988 as the first-ever international day for global health, it is now in its 35th year. We sat down with Anastasia Pharris, Principal expert in Communicable Diseases, to discuss the latest joint ECDC-WHO Europe HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe report to take stock of where Eu…

1
Episode 43 - Gianfranco Spiteri - Artificial (Epidemic) Intelligence 19:30

1+ y ago19:30

19:30

Is the artificial intelligence going to take our jobs? Or will it change the daily work of the ECDC experts looking for epidemic signals? Perhaps it already does? In this episode we sit down for a chat with Gianfranco Spiteri - ECDC's Group Leader in the Epidemic Intelligence team to take a look at the recent AI developments and what the new tools …

1
Episode 42 - Joaquin Baruch - Epidemiology in the Field 27:41

2y ago27:41

27:41

Joaquin Baruch who was part of the ECDC Fellowship Programme for epidemiologists - EPIET - talks to us about his experiences as a fellow in Malta, as well as doing field work in places such as Western Sahara, Algeria and Mozambique. This episode was recorded during ESCAIDE 2022, and is aired to mark the World Field Epidemiology Day on 7 September. …

1
Understanding vaccine hesitancy in Europe 12:20

2y ago12:20

12:20

This week EURACTIV's health reporter Marta Iraola talks to Dr. Emilie Karafillakis about vaccine confidence in Europe and what is behind people's lack of trust in vaccination and public health campaigns. In this episode, the health team reunites before the summer to say goodbye to this podcast as from September health topics will be covered under B…

1
AI: at the Interface of computer science and Medicine 32:33

2y ago32:33

32:33

From YouTube-recommended videos to facial recognition used to unlock smartphones, AI is already being used on a daily basis. The healthcare sector is not an exception as its ability to process vast amounts of medical data helps in diagnostics and medical image analysis. To better understand where AI is already used and what potential it holds, EURA…

1
European Health Data Space on the Parliament's Plate 25:54

2y ago25:54

25:54

As the European Parliament debates how European health data space should be shaped, EURACTIV talks with the co-rapporteur of the file, Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol (EPP), touching on primary and secondary use of data, the reasons why parliament supports the opt-out option and what is left to discuss before the discussions can start with the Council.…

1
Episode 41 - Gaetano Marrone - Statistically Speaking 16:06

2y ago16:06

16:06

In this episode, we dig a little deeper into the fascinating world of biostatistics. Our guide is Gaetano Marrone - an ECDC expert in the field of statistics and its use in public health. Listen in to learn more! And don't forget to visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for general information about ECDC, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠⁠.…

1
Balancing patients' privacy and health data's potential 20:29

2y ago20:29

20:29

European Health Data Space (EHDS) focuses on the primary and secondary use of data. While the primary use of data is data used by citizens and healthcare professionals at the national and EU levels the secondary data is to be used by researchers, policy makers and pharma. The Commission's proposal does not include any say for patients regarding the…

1
The challenge of guaranteeing access to healthcare to all Ukrainian refugees 19:08

2y ago19:08

19:08

On the occasion of the first Healthcare Forum, which took place in Wąsowo, Poland last week, Euractiv spoke with the Regional Director of WHO/Europe, Dr Hans Kluge. In this interview, Dr. Kluge looked back on his meeting with the Polish and Ukrainian Ministers of Health about the Healthy Reconstruction of Ukraine. He dug into the physical and menta…

1
A closer look at Europe's fertility challenge 10:39

2y ago10:39

10:39

This week EURACTIV'S health team explores why fertility is decreasing across the globe, what challenges people face when they want children and the situation of fertility treatments in Europe. For that, Health Reporter Marta Iraola talks with Dr Carlos Calhaz-Jorge, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology and chair of the European Society for Hu…

1
Episode 40 - Vanja Nikolac Markic, Francois-Xavier Lamy & Jenny Mohseni Skoglund - SOHO 12:25

2y ago12:25

12:25

Have you ever wondered how substances of human origin (SoHo) - blood, tissues, cells, organs - can be used in medical therapies? In this episode, ECDCs SoHo Team talks about the lifesaving medical benefits that SoHos can bring and the measures to ensure that they are used safely. The team also gives an overview of the legislation and regulation at …

1
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: a silent threat for children's development 14:07

2y ago14:07

14:07

This week, EURACTIV’s health team dives into how endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) can affect children, especially in their most important developmental years. They talk with Doctor Anders Juul, a paediatric endocrinologist at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. He explains how children are exposed to these chemicals and the health issues this can cau…

1
Episode 39 - Georgios Theocharopoulos - ECDC4AfricaCDC 18:40

2y ago18:40

18:40

On this episode we are speaking with Georgios Theocharopoulos, Scientific Officer for Emergency Preparedness and Response, to discuss ECDC4AfricaCDC, a four-year capacity- and partnership-building project between ECDC and Africa CDC.You can find more information on the ECDC4AfricaCDC project here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠⁠…

1
Much more than a ‘party drug’ 35:43

2y ago35:43

35:43

Psilocybin, MDMA or LSD might associate with party drugs but their therapeutic value is being discovered worldwide. Ian Roullier took part in two clinical trials that looked at the effects of psilocybin on depression. Through his personal experience, Roullier shares his insights on psychedelic-assisted therapy, its potential value to patients and w…

1
The need to phase out tobacco farming 16:47

2y ago16:47

16:47

Tobacco is responsible for 8 million deaths a year but despite that governments across the world spend millions supporting tobacco farms, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus. As 31 May marks World No Tobacco Day, EURACTIV’s health team talks with Rudiger Krech, WHO Director of the Health Promotion Department, on the impact of toxic…

1
Episode 38 - Orla Condell - A Health Emergency Task Force 16:59

2y ago16:59

16:59

With the pandemic lessons in mind, steps are taken for Europe to be stronger and better prepared to tackle current and emerging threats of infectious diseases. ECDC’s new reinforced mandate gives the agency a stronger role to support the EU Member States with surveillance, joint preparedness and response planning and issue stronger guidance during …

1
Mental health matters in the Parliament 14:09

2y ago14:09

14:09

From psychedelics and mental health literature to having pets in EU institutions - EURACTIV’s health reporter Giedrė Peseckytė is talking with three MEPs - Maria Walsh from Christian Democrats, Mikuláš Peksa from the Greens and Karen Melchior from Renew - about mental health.By Euractiv

1
The Importance of early testing 21:26

2y ago21:26

21:26

As this week is European Testing Week, a European campaign that aims to increase testing efforts and promote awareness of the benefits of earlier hepatitis and HIV testing, EURACTIV's health team is talking with Jens Lundgren, Professor of infectious diseases at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He has been involved with clinical HIV researc…

1
Discovering Monderna's new landscape for vaccines in Europe 11:26

2y ago11:26

11:26

This week, EURACTIV’s health team talks with Chantal Friebertshäuser, Senior Vice President at Moderna for Europe, the Middle East and Canada. They discuss the end of COVID and the new vaccine they are developing against cancer. They also talk about the new facility the biotechnology company recently opened in Madrid, Spain. This new laboratory, eq…

1
Episode 37 - Diamantis Plachouras - All (Clean) Hands on Deck 17:48

2y ago17:48

17:48

It's 5 May and we mark today the World Hand Hygiene Day. Hand hygiene or simply - hand washing is one of the simplest, yet most important and effective measure to lower the chances of catching or spreading infectious diseases in public spaces and in healthcare settings! We asked ECDC's expert in Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated In…

1
Unwrapping the new pharmaceutical legislation 13:51

2y ago13:51

13:51

This week, EURACTIV’s health team dives into the proposal for a new pharmaceutical legislation and the complicated way ahead. For that, they talk with stakeholders working on health policy at the EU level about their priorities and main concerns.By Euractiv

1
Episode 36 - Bruno Ciancio - End of the COVID-19 pandemic? 16:14

2y ago16:14

16:14

It is April 2023 and more than three years have passed since the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded. In this episode we ask Bruno Ciancio, ECDC's Head of Surveillance, to give an overview of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic until now, explain the current state of the pandemic, and provide a glimpse at how it may evolve in the future. For a…

1
Out of REACH 11:11

2y ago11:11

11:11

This week, EURACTIV’s health team dives into endocrine disruptors and the effect these chemicals can have on our hormonal system. They talk with Doctor Angel Nadal, professor of physiology at the University Miguel Hernandez in Spain, about the current framework and what else can be done at the EU level.…

1
Episode 35 - Piotr Kramarz - The Solidarity of Vaccination 15:49

2y ago15:49

15:49

European Immunization Week (EIW) is marked across Europe every year in the final week of April. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of immunisation for the general health and well-being of the European and wider population. To mark the start of EIW, we have invited the ECDC's Deputy Chief Scientist - Piotr Kramarz to talk about the importa…

1
Fact checking The Whale’s obesity portrayal 12:08

2y ago12:08

12:08

This week, EURACTIV’s journalist Marta Iraola talks about the movie ‘The Whale’ with Jacqueline Bowman-Busato, head of policy at the European Association for the Study of Obesity. They focus on the controversies about its portrayal of obesity and the reception among the patient community.By Euractiv

1
The crime of passing the pill 16:54

2+ y ago16:54

16:54

This week, EURACTIV’s journalist Giedrė Peseckytė is talking with a Polish pro-abortion activist Justyna Wydrzynska who got sentenced in mid-March to eight months of community service for sharing abortion pills with another woman back in 2020. *The interview was conducted on 23 March.By Euractiv

1
Ukraine's fight against TB 20:00

2+ y ago20:00

20:00

Marking world Tuberculosis day (24 March) we are talking with two Ukrainians about how Ukrainians are fighting not only Russia's invasion but also one of the highest incidences of TB cases in the European region.By Euractiv

1
Episode 34 - Senia Rosales-Klintz - Yes! We Can End TB! 26:00

2+ y ago26:00

26:00

Today, 24th March is World Tuberculosis Day, so there isn't a better time to talk about TB and the different ways to fight it. Our expert - Senia Rosales-Klintz tells us that this indeed is the plan, and with a deadline for 2030. Can it be done? If you would like to read the latest news on TB and see the details of the World TB Day campaign, visit …

1
The EU rules for sperm in SoHo 12:00

2+ y ago12:00

12:00

This week, EURACTIV’s health team explores the outstanding revision of the EU framework on substances of human origins (SoHo) together with Annemette Arndal-Lauritzen, CEO of the European Sperm Bank, with a focus on the revision of the EU rules for sperm donation.By Euractiv

1
Episode 33 - Andrea Ammon - A Strengthened ECDC Mandate 20:13

2+ y ago20:13

20:13

In this episode we catch up with ECDC's Director Andrea Ammon, who gives us the lowdown on the agency's new extended mandate and the EU regulation on serious cross-border threats to health. Andrea Ammon explains how this will help to better protect European citizens from health threats through improved surveillance, smoother international cooperati…

1
Unboxing the EU’s medical devices rules 15:11

2+ y ago15:11

15:11

This week, EURACTIV's health journalists Marta Iraola and Gerardo Fortuna dig into the troubled implementation of the new framework for medical devices in Europe which entered into force in 2021. When developers of medical devices started experiencing problems in meeting the deadlines for implementing the key rules of the new regulation, the EU law…

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