Maria Bartiromo

Well, thanks for having me, and I appreciate the time to have a chance to chat. I love podcasts, I have to say. I feel like it's the greatest opportunity to have a discussion and really not be forced to get them in these tiny little segments. But I'm Maria Van Kerkhove. I'm an infectious disease epidemiologist here at WHO. I sit in headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Well, thanks for having me, and I appreciate the time to have a chance to chat. I love podcasts, I have to say. I feel like it's the greatest opportunity to have a discussion and really not be forced to get them in these tiny little segments. But I'm Maria Van Kerkhove. I'm an infectious disease epidemiologist here at WHO. I sit in headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

We are an organization of thousands of individuals, 6,000, 7,000 individuals worldwide. We work in regions and in countries in more than 150 countries. And the job that we do here and the job that I'm responsible for is to promote, provide, protect health.

We are an organization of thousands of individuals, 6,000, 7,000 individuals worldwide. We work in regions and in countries in more than 150 countries. And the job that we do here and the job that I'm responsible for is to promote, provide, protect health.

We are an organization of thousands of individuals, 6,000, 7,000 individuals worldwide. We work in regions and in countries in more than 150 countries. And the job that we do here and the job that I'm responsible for is to promote, provide, protect health.

I sit in our health emergencies program and I lead our Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management, which is essentially where we develop prevention control programs, evidence-based guidance, tools, materials to support countries to detect, prevent, respond to pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. And we deal with some of the nasty ones.

I sit in our health emergencies program and I lead our Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management, which is essentially where we develop prevention control programs, evidence-based guidance, tools, materials to support countries to detect, prevent, respond to pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. And we deal with some of the nasty ones.

I sit in our health emergencies program and I lead our Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management, which is essentially where we develop prevention control programs, evidence-based guidance, tools, materials to support countries to detect, prevent, respond to pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. And we deal with some of the nasty ones.

So COVID, flu, RSV, which is particularly challenging for young kids and for older adults, but also orthopoxviruses and the MPOX public health emergency that we're dealing with. We deal with high threat pathogens like Marburg and Ebola. We deal with arboviruses like dengue and chikungunya and Zika and urapucha and, you know, many of these types of threats.

So COVID, flu, RSV, which is particularly challenging for young kids and for older adults, but also orthopoxviruses and the MPOX public health emergency that we're dealing with. We deal with high threat pathogens like Marburg and Ebola. We deal with arboviruses like dengue and chikungunya and Zika and urapucha and, you know, many of these types of threats.

So COVID, flu, RSV, which is particularly challenging for young kids and for older adults, but also orthopoxviruses and the MPOX public health emergency that we're dealing with. We deal with high threat pathogens like Marburg and Ebola. We deal with arboviruses like dengue and chikungunya and Zika and urapucha and, you know, many of these types of threats.

But not only the biological risks, we also look at laboratory biosafety, biosecurity. So looking at the unintentional potential. potential release of these types of pathogens into the human population. And we also deal with the deliberate release. So working with many other UN agencies on a security side of things in case there were to be a deliberate release.

But not only the biological risks, we also look at laboratory biosafety, biosecurity. So looking at the unintentional potential. potential release of these types of pathogens into the human population. And we also deal with the deliberate release. So working with many other UN agencies on a security side of things in case there were to be a deliberate release.

But not only the biological risks, we also look at laboratory biosafety, biosecurity. So looking at the unintentional potential. potential release of these types of pathogens into the human population. And we also deal with the deliberate release. So working with many other UN agencies on a security side of things in case there were to be a deliberate release.

And lastly, in my department, we deal with the landscape of medical countermeasures in terms of looking at access and benefits for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Now, obviously, I work with tons and tons of people, you know, and across the health emergencies program in WHO.

And lastly, in my department, we deal with the landscape of medical countermeasures in terms of looking at access and benefits for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Now, obviously, I work with tons and tons of people, you know, and across the health emergencies program in WHO.

And lastly, in my department, we deal with the landscape of medical countermeasures in terms of looking at access and benefits for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Now, obviously, I work with tons and tons of people, you know, and across the health emergencies program in WHO.

But one of the things that I love the most and I hope we could potentially get into is that we are the secretariat of 194 member states and we work with incredible experts in every single country. So the best minds coming together to combat the world's biggest health challenges.

But one of the things that I love the most and I hope we could potentially get into is that we are the secretariat of 194 member states and we work with incredible experts in every single country. So the best minds coming together to combat the world's biggest health challenges.

But one of the things that I love the most and I hope we could potentially get into is that we are the secretariat of 194 member states and we work with incredible experts in every single country. So the best minds coming together to combat the world's biggest health challenges.