Health Check

‘Friendship benches’, a mental health intervention first piloted in Zimbabwe, are now being handed over to the government in that country. It is hoped that this will allow the program to become more widespread. Also on the show, a new device can convert brain signals to speach in nearly real time for those who have been paralysed, a medicine for rare genetic disorders could also make human blood deadly to mosquitos, and the US Food and Drug administration has approved a new first-in-class antibiotic for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

What does it feel like to be part of a study which might have its funding cut? Marty Reiswig has a rare genetic mutation that means he will get Alzheimer’s disease in his forties or fifties. For fifteen years he’s been part of medical studies into his condition, but now, with the NIH announcing funding cuts, he’s worried the studies will stop. Also on the program, would you do CPR on another bystander? A new study finds that speed of response – not how trained you are – is what’s important. So how can we get more people doing this live-saving measure? And MRI imaging indicates that babies might actually be encoding memories. So why can’t we remember what it was like to be that young? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

A federal judge has said the shuttering of USAID is ‘likely unconstitutional’, while the Trump administration has been ordered to pay back bills for USAID. But what difference is this making on the ground? Global health journalist Andrew Green is in Uganda finding out. Also on the show, a new safety trial shows yearly injections of the drug lenacapivir may be able to prevent HIV transmission, and PCOS and endometriosis are two fairly common gynecological issues, but could they also lead to cardiovascular issues? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

The Americas are in danger of losing their measles elimination status as the disease spreads due to under vaccination. Also on the show, a study finds that continuous glucose monitors may be overestimating blood sugar levels in healthy adults. And it’s been ten years since Brazil experienced and epidemic of microcephaly due to the Zika virus. What have we learned in that time? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

As the Trump administration cuts 90% of programs funded by the US Agency for International Development, we look at the effect on global health. Also on the program, violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo is hindering the country’s ongoing MPox response – just as a new, more transmissible strain is discovered. And, a look at an initiative trying to improve women’s mental health in Guatemala. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

Encephalitis can be a debilitating condition, but many people have never even heard of it. A new global report looks at how we can improve diagnosis and treatment. Also on the program, new research seems to indicate that antidepressents might speed cognitive decline in dementia patients, but do they really? We take a closer look at some of the caveats. And a gene therapy for toddlers who have gone blind is showing some promise, we’ll look into what this could mean for future treatments. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

The global need for medical oxygen is high, but there are huge gaps in safe and affordable access. The first report of its kind identifies not only who is most vulnerable, but how the world can strengthen the supply of medical oxygen to improve public health and pandemic preparedness. We hear first-hand the impact of the USAID freeze on health clinicians in practice. And we learn how health systems are rebuilt after conflict, integrating resilience to protect them against future shocks. Also on the show, can weight-loss drugs curb alcohol addiction? Plus, scientists discover it is not just your tongue that can taste sweetness - sweet taste receptors have been found on the heart, and they could play a role in heartbeat regulation. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett

Do you look back on the past with rose-tinted spectacles, memories of the good old days accompanied by warm, fuzzy feelings? Or when you reflect on the past is it hard to do so without a tinge of sadness? Whether you fall on the more bitter or more sweet side, this is the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. But nostalgia was not always just a feeling. Historian Agnes Arnold Forster tells Claudia and the panel that once it was viewed as a disease so deadly that it appeared on thousands of death certificates. And now this poignant emotion stirs political action, bonds us to others, and guides our very understanding of ourselves. Our expert panel of psychologists; Peter Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, and Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, join Claudia in the studio to discuss how leaning into nostalgia can help us feel better, reduce pain, and even inject a bit of romance into life. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

As Guinea becomes the latest country to eliminate sleeping sickness, how close are we to defeating the disease completely? Also on the program, what does a massive shakeup at the US Agency for International Development mean for global health? And a new discovery is shedding a bit more light on a neural fossil in our ears. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

What will President Trump’s order stopping work on foreign aid projects mean for global health? Also on the program, a new method for repairing heart muscles using stem cells shows promise, and do weight-loss drugs also stop the ‘food noise’ so many people hear? GP and medical journalist Graham Easton joins Claudia in studio to discuss. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett

As President Trump signals his intention to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization, what could the global health ramifications be? Also on the show, Meta moves from an independent fact-checking program to community notes: How will this affect health misinformation across the company’s platforms? A new rapid test that could help diagnose Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic fever brings hope to an oft neglected disease, and what would be the mental health effect of living in space long-term? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

With extensive wildfires in Los Angeles, we look at the longer-term health impacts of wildfires and why there is still a risk to health after a fire is extinguished. A global commission has called for an overhaul of how obesity is diagnosed, suggesting more measures for practitioners to help distinguish between different types of obesity and improve individualized care for each patient. In Guatemala, reporter Jane Chambers takes us along to a local project supporting residents to transition away from ultra-processed food and towards more traditional eating habits. Also on the show, in light of 2024 surpassing global climate warming limits of 1.5°C we find out how climate change is impacting HIV prevention and care. Plus, how abortion patients in the UK demonstrate shifting contraception choices, with a rise in ‘natural’ fertility options. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett & Jack Lee

With reports of rising cases of the respiratory illness HMPV in multiple countries and concern over the risk it poses, we look behind the headlines to reality check what is really going on. Also on the show, we hear from injured Ukrainians who are building drones to help with their mental and physical rehabilitation. Plus, how does elite sport impact women’s fertility? Finally, we look ahead to predict what 2025 might have in store for global health. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Katie Tomsett & Jack Lee

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi exploring the concept of One Health, where the health of humans, animals and the environment are all linked. Today we’re visiting a makeshift roadside operating theatre for dogs in the village of Kauma, just outside of Lilongwe. During the ‘Spay Day’, vets from the Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals neuter local dogs for free, in an attempt to protect both dogs, and people, from rabies. We find out how this work feeds into the bigger picture of One Health in Malawi, and Claudia has a go at being a veterinary assistant… Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Sophie Ormiston

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi exploring a movement known as “One Health”: an approach that calls for collaboration between the fields of human, animal, and environmental health, for the benefit of all. And how can this help to prevent disease when people and animals live in close proximity? We hear how vets and researchers across Malawi are tackling diseases such as rabies, anthrax, and sleeping sickness – and how the sharing of expertise that One Health brings is crucial in their efforts. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Sophie Ormiston

Claudia Hammond is joined by journalist Andrew Green to check-in on their 2024 health predictions and review just how accurate they were. Together, they explore the stories that we didn’t see coming and the game-changing medical innovations that shaped global health this year. Plus, the unusual Ig Nobel medicine prize, and a healthy dose of competition in the form of the ultimate health fact-off.

Researchers have trailed a revolutionary malaria vaccine that uses the entire malaria parasite and is delivered via the bite of a mosquito, offering a novel way to boost immunity. The next step involves developing an injectable version for broader use. Also on the program: a mystery illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kwango Province; doctors in Brazil raise concerns over dengue spreading through contaminated blood transfusions; and an innovative temporary tattoo that can measure brain activity through hair. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett and Jack Lee

A new study in Nature has looked at genetic underpinnings that could lead to earlier presentations of Type II diabetes in South Asian populations. Also on the program, we look at an exciting new development in asthma treatment, and how we can detect Alzheimer's soon. Plus, slap fighting – the sport is growing in popularity, but could it have negative health consequences for participants. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Jack Lee

As the war in Sudan leads to multiple health crises in the country, we look at what can be done to improve the situation. Also on the show, is climate change helping disease-carrying ticks to spread beyond their usual range by an unusual method – migrating birds? And hot chocolate: it’s delicious, but in certain circumstances, could it also help to improve your vascular health? Claudia Hammond is joined by health reporter Laura Foster to explore these topics and more. Image: WFP trucks carry aid to Darfur and other famine-stricken parts through the Adre Border crossing Image Credit: Abubakar Garelnabei/Reuters Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

Some Ugandan children with complicated malaria have shown partial resistance to leading anti-malarial drug artemisinin. What challenge does this pose to treatment efficacy and raising concerns about the potential spread of drug-resistant strains. We speak with Dr. Audrey Blewer, an epidemiologist and assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Duke University, about how 911 dispatchers providing CPR instructions can significantly improve bystander intervention rates, highlighting the critical role of telecommunicators in emergency response. Additionally, does working from home increase the amount of sleep and exercise you can get? We discuss the impact of remote working on health and productivity. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett