Thursday, November 3, 9-11pm
The first hour explores the vital connection between health and essential requirements such as clean water and sanitation. The second hour examines the need to strengthen public health systems and leadership worldwide. Brad Pitt narrates.

"Back to the Basics"--Nutrient-enriched products have dramatically reduced instances of vitamin-deficiency in the United States, but such illnesses continue to plague the developing world. In addition to nutritional deficits, many people in poorer countries suffer from easily preventable diseases because they lack other basic necessities, such as clean water and sanitation. "Back to the Basics" explores the vital connection between health and these essential requirements. It also examines how America's overabundance of nutrition - in the form of overconsumption - is causing problems such as obesity and adult-onset diabetes, which are beginning to spread to the rest of the world.

"How Safe Are We?"--In the past 100 years, public health and scientific advances have more than doubled life expectancy in developed countries and increased longevity in some developing nations. However, the steady advances of the past century have been under serious assault in recent years. In the last few decades alone, 30 new infectious diseases have emerged. New diseases travel the globe with unprecedented rapidity, and older killers that seemed controllable are roaring back as current medicines lose their effectiveness. This episode examines some of the most critical and emerging threats, and the need to strengthen public health systems and leadership worldwide.