As a Master’s of Public Health student at Emory University, one of the most intriguing ideas I encountered was that of upstream prevention. This concept is often illustrated by a metaphor involving drowning bodies in a river; a panic ensues at the riverfront as rescuers eagerly jump in to save the drowning victims. Although many people are saved, the rescue team can’t keep up with the sheer number of victims. One member of the rescue team (the public health expert) decides to travel upstream to find the cause of the problem. Although this member of the team is harshly criticized for abandoning the immediate rescue effort, he is later praised for identifying the source of the problem and preventing many deaths.