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Dear Infectious Ideaists*, *(I’m still looking for the right nomenclature for IIDC members — clearly not there yet). THIS is the difference between what working in public health used to look like and what it looks like now. Because the assault on public health has been so stingingly unfair and relentless it is REALLY easy to completely identify with that second public health lifeguard who, while striding allegorically across the cover of a 1921 issue of Judge magazine to save a smugly oblivious public, can be seen saying at the bottom, “If I have to save her life again, I’ll let her drown [By God]!” 😂 SO tempting! But because we are better than that I’d like to propose that we all take a less morally ambiguous break from our public health lifesaving duties for a minute and set aside an hour to listen to some success stories about the tackling of some Really Bad Bugs—HIV! Ebola! Yellow Fever! COVID-19!—from a guy who has spent his career crisis-hopping from one to the next. That guy is Kevin M. De Cock, MD who, having converted a career’s worth of frequent flyer miles into a page turner of a memoir: Deployed: A Physician on the Front Lines of Public Health, will be the star of our first IIDC Book Club event. Story Time!! Pack a lunch for this one (or watch the tape later at a more normal dinner hour) because we will be meeting online at 1:00pm ET on Wednesday, April 15 to accommodate the fact that Dr. De Cock will be Zooming in from South Africa. The story-fest, to be hosted by Public Health legend in his own right Dr. James W. Curran, is going to be a fascinating journey down Dr. De Cock’s memory lane and is guaranteed to help you, me, and all the rest of us just breathe for a second so that we have some badly needed space to remember exactly why we persist in doing this crucially important work in the face of all things Infuriating. Here is what the Deployed book blurb says: "An insider's account of a global health leader's career tackling infectious diseases and systemic public health challenges. "In Deployed, Kevin M. De Cock, MD, chronicles his extraordinary career as a physician who has confronted the world's most pressing infectious disease crises. Beginning his work at a time when infectious diseases were widely considered to be vanquished, De Cock emerged as a pivotal figure in battling the AIDS pandemic, outbreaks of Ebola and Yellow Fever, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "Through vivid storytelling, De Cock shares the realities of global health work, balancing scientific discovery, cultural challenges, and political intricacies. This book provides a rare, insider's perspective on decades of public health evolution, from the early recognition of AIDS as a global health priority to the struggles of addressing emerging pandemics in the twenty—first century amid systemic challenges like health inequities. Rich in lessons for [people like us!], this powerful book highlights the urgency and complexity of leading global health efforts in an interconnected world.
"Spanning continents and crises, Deployed offers a unique exploration of the intersections among medicine, epidemiology, and global public health. De Cock draws from his experiences in diverse settings, from African hospitals tackling endemic diseases to high—stakes international efforts addressing viral outbreaks. This compelling narrative bridges the gap between the clinical and cultural, offering both inspiration and practical guidance to a new generation of global health leaders." Doesn’t this sound INTERESTING?!!!! Of course it does! Register now to attend the meeting, in real-time or by watching the recording later. Warmly, Your friendly neighborhood IIDC Director/Goddess/Book Club Host/Lifeguard -Kimbi Hagen NOTE: The use of a lifeguard allegory occurred to me this morning when I realized that my own backyard pool, which serves as a de facto neighborhood community center each summer, had gone from looking like THIS last August to THIS today. All as the result of poor prevention efforts on my part in which my pool has been exposed to rampant, unprotected tree sex (pine pollen, catkins, fruiting flowers), PLUS several months of chlorine withdrawal over the winter, PLUS a mysterious siphon malfunction yesterday that ended up dropping the water level by almost two feet while I slept, blissfully unaware, last night. But don't feel too sorry for me. THIS is the backdrop in which I get to begin the laborious process of pool remediation and reclamation. Wish me luck and I’ll see you on April 15!
