The Current

The Current for March 15, 2021

Today on The Current: The man who helped eradicate smallpox weighs in on ending the COVID-19 pandemic; the race to vaccinate Canadians; our history of gathering around fires; and a new film sheds light on Guantanamo Bay.
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Episode Transcript

Today on The Current:

Dr. Larry Brilliant was part of the World Health Organization team that eradicated smallpox in India. Today, with his organization Pandefense Advisory, he helps governments, businesses and non-profits respond to COVID-19 and future pandemics. Matt Galloway speaks with Brilliant about how he expects the current health crisis to end.

Then, vaccines are on the way. We speak with Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, who is in charge of making sure they're successfully delivered across Canada. 

And with indoor activities mostly prohibited because of COVID-19, many Canadians are gathering around fires outside. They're roasting marshmallows, chatting with friends and even holding book clubs. We speak with some of those Canadians, and we hear from anthropologist Michael Chazan, who says humans have a long history of gathering around fires.

Plus, he spent 14 years at Guantanamo Bay for a crime he was never charged with. Now his story is the focus of a new film, The Mauritanian. Mohamedou Ould Salahi tells us what gave him hope during his darkest days.