BBC Radio Podcasts from Health Check

Health Check

Weight loss gold rush

Telehealth platforms are increasingly prescribing GLP-1s, raising concerns about safety.

Organ transplant in HIV+ patients

A new study looks at the safety of organ transplants between people with HIV

Rapid malaria diagnoses

What difference are rapid diagnostic tests making in the fight against malaria?

Micro RNA wins Nobel

What is micro RNA, and why has it been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine?

Mpox widens its reach

As mpox continues to spread, we check in on how the vaccine rollout is going.

Vector-borne diseases

What does an uptick in vector-borne diseases mean for global health?

Polio Vaccination in Afghanistan

Has the Taliban halted polio vaccinations in Afghanistan?

Haiti: Healthcare in the Midst of Conflict

As Haiti expands its state of emergency, what is the country’s healthcare situation?

The race to distribute Mpox vaccines

We look at the struggle to get Mpox vaccines to the places where they are most needed.

Living with a new brain

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi, hearing what life is like after brain surgery.

The latest on the mpox public health emergency

Further developments in the spread of mpox around the world

Catching up with Covid

An in-depth look at how the world is coping with coronavirus in 2024

MPox outbreak worsens

Across the African continent cases of MPox have surged 160% this year

World’s first Oropouche deaths in Brazil

The virus, carried by flies and mosquitoes, has killed two women in Bahia state.

Systemic racism in health care

Systemic racism affects our wellbeing long before we ever see a doctor.

Toxic positivity

A discussion on toxic positivity from the Cheltenham Science Festival

Steps forward and back in the battle again HIV

The past few weeks have seen achievements in the fight against HIV, but also setbacks.

Can light emitting bandages treat cancer?

All the latest health research from the Royal Society’s Summer Exhibition in London.

New MPox strain in DRC

A new, concerning strain of MPox is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Why is exercise good for your mental health?

Exercise is good for your mental health, but do we know why? And does it always work?

Is using the internet good for us?

A new study finds being online could have a positive impact on our wellbeing.

New human cases of bird flu

A third case of H5N1 confirmed in farmworker experiencing respiratory symptoms in the US

How long will we live in future?

New findings suggest life expectancy will increase five years by 2050.

Medical Innovations

This week we look at some innovative thinking in medicine.

Whooping cough on the rise

Why are Whooping cough cases surging through much of Europe and Asia?

Conflict's impact on a neglected disease

Conflict in Sudan impacts a research center for neglected disease mycetoma

What’s happening with girls’ mental health?

Claudia Hammond explores the mental health issues affecting teenage girls

Is turbulence injuring more and more flyers?

We look at what’s behind a rise in incidents causing injuries to air passengers

Nigeria rolls out world’s first 5-in-1 meningitis vaccine

New Men5CV vaccine protects people against five strains of the meningococcus bacteria

How we hope

A discussion from the Northern Ireland Science Festival exploring the psychology of hope.

Puerto Rico declares dengue fever emergency

Cases of the disease continue to surge in Latin America and the Caribbean

Pig kidney transplanted into patient

Gene edited organ transplanted into living person for the first time

Should we stop talking about long Covid?

New research suggests long Covid is indistinguishable from other post-viral conditions

A promising new cancer treatment

Promising results from a global study provide hope for new cancer treatment

One billion obese people

One in eight people worldwide are now obese, but that doesn’t mean they are better fed.

Junior doctors strike in South Korea

More than two thirds of junior doctors continue strike in South Korea

Global Trade v Health Equality

Intellectual property rights on Covid-19 treatments continue to impact poorer countries

Dengue outbreak in Latin America

Dengue clinics set up in Rio de Janeiro’s carnival week amid Latin American outbreak

Getting vaccinations to remote South Sudan

In the midst of flooding, doctors attempt to combat a Hepatitis E outbreak by boat.

Surviving Noma disease

What its like living after having Noma disease as researchers hold an inaugural meeting

Cape Verde eliminates malaria

Cape Verde officially eliminates malaria and Cameroon begins routine vaccinations

Endurance

From rowing across the Atlantic Ocean to running across the Sahara Desert.

Are outcomes better with female surgeons?

Patients treated by female surgeons have fewer adverse postoperative outcomes.

2024 in global health

What health advances, challenges and discoveries will the next 12 months hold?

A year in health in review

The highs and lows of global health news in 2023 reviewed

When will we have an HIV vaccine?

Following failed trials, researchers are worried we won’t get an HIV vaccine before 2030.

Closer to a cure for morning sickness

Researchers work out why some pregnant women are more at risk of morning sickness

How do we know when a mystery illness is serious?

Claudia Hammond hears how unusual health events are identified and investigated.

New Zealand backtracks on smoking ban

New Zealand’s government to scrap world leading ban on tobacco products.

Gene editing treatment approved for sickle cell

UK is the first country to approve Casgevy, but is the drug too expensive for most?

Vaccinating children against chickenpox

Why do some countries vaccinate children against chickenpox and others choose not to?

A drug to prevent breast cancer

Anastrozole can halve your chances of developing breast cancer if you are at high risk.

Warnings over antibiotic resistance in children

A new study shows some antibiotics are now less than 50% effective at treating infections

A musician’s story of coping with schizophrenia

How a mother is supporting her son to perform again after he developed psychosis.

Cholera cases surge in Zimbabwe

Large gatherings are banned in parts of the country after 100 people die of the disease.

US proposes world first policy to reduce STIs

US public health officials consult on prescribing antibiotics after unprotected sex

Malaria vaccine backed by WHO

The World Health Organisation recommends University of Oxford vaccine for global use.

The deadly practice of gum lancing

How the tradition of extracting babies’ teeth used in some communities can be fatal

Could global Aids program be cut?

Some US Republicans call for PEPFAR funding to be stopped over alleged links to abortion.

Do men have a friendship problem?

A discussion on the issues men face with friendship from the Cheltenham Science Festival.

Opioid overdose antidote made available in US

Naloxone made accessible in American pharmacies without prescription for the first time.

What happened to babies with Zika virus

How families in Brazil have been coping with the fallout from the Zika epidemic.

Disgraced surgeon appeals prison sentence

Paolo Macchiarini appeals conviction for transplant surgeries in patients who later died.

Contaminated cough syrup found in Iraq

Cough medicine batch contained unacceptable levels of toxic chemicals says WHO.

A closer look at leprosy

Leprosy could now be endemic in Florida. We look at the disease’s past, present & future.

Henrietta Lacks’ family settle lawsuit

Family of a black woman whose cells were taken settle case with biotech company

Playing catch up on childhood immunisations

How to get children immunised to pre-Pandemic numbers after Covid backslide

A new era for Alzheimer’s drugs?

Global trial confirms Alzheimer’s drug donanemab slows cognitive decline in early stages

Sickle cell disease: Fighting for the future

Better care for people with Sickle Cell Disease after figures reveal its global impact

Drumming for a healthy life

Drumming to Martian technology; Health research at the Royal Society summer exhibition

The future of HIV research in Africa

HIV research by African academics has increased but doesn’t yet reflect the virus’ impact

Healthcare under threat in Myanmar

Healthcare in Myanmar declines as workers say they’ve been targeted by Military Government

A step closer to a Chikungunya vaccine

Advanced vaccine trials for a mosquito-borne disease that’s becoming more prevalent

China's Covid-19 lockdown: What happened next?

Covid-19 cases could rise to 65 million in China, but lockdowns look unlikely

Uganda's anti-gay law and healthcare

Doctors fear Ugandan anti-gay legislation will slow progress on preventing spread of HIV

What can we do about back pain?

600 million people around the world have lower back pain so what can we do to help?

Home testing kits for disease screening

A USA study shows home test kits lead to more women getting screened for cervical cancer

Giving small babies a better start

Simple changes to antenatal care which doctors say could save small babies’ lives

Keeping hospitals open in Khartoum

Doctors working in Sudan share the latest from the ongoing conflict

Why we need more black doctors

Why more black doctors could increase life expectancy of local black people

Malaria vaccines approved first in West Africa

Nigeria follows Ghana in approving malaria vaccine for young children

New way of giving lifesaving drug in childbirth

Trial shows injecting drug into muscle to stop bleeding in childbirth is effective.

Women aren’t being promoted in healthcare

Why more women need to be leaders in healthcare.

Could armpit sweat help tackle anxiety?

Researchers test whether sniffing other people’s body odour might have a therapeutic use.

How giving babies peanut butter could cut allergy

Study says giving babies peanut butter could cut allergy by 77%.

Obesity drug: New hope for weight loss?

How a drug designed for diabetes patients could offer hope for obesity

How to cope with earthquake trauma

We assess the mental health toll a month after earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

Vaccines: A tale of the unexpected

We explore how some vaccines can have positive effects beyond their target

Supporting Ukrainian children

One year on from the start of the war, what support are Ukrainian children getting?

Biting back: The fight against snakebite

What is being done to tackle the issue of venomous snakebites?

Can heat affect mental health?

Researchers in Bangladesh explore links between changes in the weather and mental health

Back from the brink

We’ll hear a doctor and survivor’s stories of cardiac arrest – and have a guide to CPR.

After the floods

A medic describes the situation six months on from the worst floods in Pakistan’s history

The ‘Endo-Monster inside me’

This week, we hear from two women who talk about what life is like with endometriosis.

Family’s gene therapy journey

One family’s quest for their little girl to be treated for an incredibly rare disease

Regret

Claudia Hammond explores the psychology of regret

Can you knit away your worries?

Crochet classes in the pandemic helped to ease stress but it’s hard to prove in studies

Biggest health stories of the year

Our pick of the biggest stories of 2022 – all covered right here on Health Check

Liver drug could be repurposed for Covid

A widely used liver disease drug could be repurposed to stop Covid-19 in its tracks.

How words can save lives

How words can save lives

'Historic' turning point for Alzheimer's

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

How to make surgery safer

New evidence shows how simple steps can stop infections after surgery

Genetic disorders and US abortion bans

How US abortion bans are impacting women whose unborn babies show inherited disorders

Psychological nudges for HIV treatment

South Africa’s first HIV “Nudge” Unit

Livers that live longer than we do

The hundred year old transplanted livers still going strong

Long Covid – the latest

What doctors still don’t know about Long Covid

Women and children’s health hit by disasters and Covid

How women and children's health is impacted more by the pandemic and conflict

Can a new star system help us to eat healthily?

How to work out what to eat to stay healthy

'Historic' claims for new Alzheimer’s drug

Treatment hope for Alzheimer’s patients

Floods spreading disease in Pakistan

Floods in Pakistan are causing a rise in waterborne diseases

Egypt’s hepatitis C success story

How Egypt went from having the highest rate of hepatitis C to almost eliminating it

Malaria vaccine effective

Malaria vaccine protects children in Burkina Faso

China approves first inhaled Covid vaccine

China approves first inhaled Covid vaccine

Statins rarely cause muscle pain

Reassurance over risk of statins side effects

Deaths cut with recommended Ebola treatments

Lifesaving Ebola treatments

Transplant hope as kidney blood groups swapped

Changing the blood groups of kidneys could improve access to donated organs

“Virtual” hospital visits cut relatives’ distress

New study: video calls helped reduce distress when relatives couldn’t visit loved ones

Can you be a kind boss?

In the cut throat world of work, can bosses be kind? Claudia Hammond unpicks the evidence

Pure kindness

What can research tell us about whether there is such a thing as an act of pure kindness

Marburg virus cases confirmed

Marburg virus cases confirmed in Ghana following two deaths

New Covid booster recommendations

New Covid booster recommendations as cases rise

Handy third thumb

Could a third thumb be handy?

Polio misinformation

Polio misinformation and why looking after your body clock can be good for your health

Poor Covid immunity after Omicron

New research shows Omicron is 'stealthy immune evader' with poor immunity boost

Next generation Covid vaccines

Next generation Covid vaccines and how noticing our body clocks could improve our health

What brain scans tell us

A new paper described as a bombshell in the world of brain scans

Monkeypox misinformation and stigma

Concerns about monkeypox misinformation and stigma

Monkeypox in central Africa

Monkeypox in central Africa; Covid Variants in South Africa and creams for eczema

Healthcare provision in North Korea

Data on healthcare provision in North Korea

New trial results of a fourth Covid booster

Brand new trial results investigating a fourth Covid booster.

Combined protection of Covid vaccination and prior infection

Evidence investigating a hybrid protection from Covid vaccines and prior infection

New Covid Research

Update on the latest global Covid research

Are we kinder to people like us?

Claudia Hammond asks whether we are kinder to people who we think are like us?

More cases of Covid in Africa than official figures suggest

Results from Zambia suggesting more cases of Covid in Africa than official figures suggest

Treating stress and anxiety in Ukraine

Psychological counselling in Ukraine

What should Hong Kong do about Covid-19?

What went wrong and what should happen next?

The kindness test: The results

Results of the world's largest study of kindness

How children think about maths and time

Doughnuts today or tomorrow? How four-year-olds understand time

Helping children cope with anxiety about war in Ukraine

The news can be distressing. How can we help children who are feeling anxious?

Why measles is sweeping through Afghanistan

Cases rise against backdrop of malnutrition and low vaccination rates

Pig organs for transplant patients

Could pig organs solve the global shortage of hearts and kidneys?

Black women and breast cancer

Why breast cancer kills more black than white women

Bringing death back into life

Experts are calling for a radical change in our approach to death and dying

Gene therapy hope for sickle cell patients

Pioneering gene-editing treatment turns back the clock for sickle cell trial patients

Are people with asthma who exercise healthier?

Exercise may improve quality of life of people with asthma

Omicron set to infect half of Europe

Covid two years on; Omicron predicted to infect half of Europe over the next two months

Home working versus the office

Psychology of working from home versus the office – what does the evidence tell us?

Do our pets care about us?

New study explores if cats or dogs care more about their owners when they’re hurt

New research on the Omicron variant

Omicron variant update and does listening to music near bedtime help you sleep?

Omicron update

Omicron update from James Gallagher, the BBC Health and Science Correspondent

Omicron variant news

News update on the new Omicron variant now in many countries across the world

Omicron Covid variant – what do we know?

Omicron Covid variant – what do we know? And a new way of testing for TB in children

Covid cases across Europe

Covid cases across Europe; Typhoid incidence in Malawi, Nepal and Bangladesh

T-cell Covid protection before the pandemic

New research on how some people had a level of Covid immunity before the pandemic started

New antiviral pills to treat Covid

How do new antiviral pills to treat Covid compare?

Hunt for rare resistance to SARS CoV-2

The global hunt for people with a rare genetic resistance to SARS CoV-2 infection

Mix and match Covid vaccines

New evidence on the benefits of mixing and matching doses of different Covid vaccines

New Covid vaccine

A new vaccine from Valneva produces strong immune response, the French company reports

The legacy of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks died in 1951 from cervical cancer, but her cells changed medical history

New antiviral Covid pill

A new Covid pill may cut hospitalisation by about half

Reducing mental health stigma

Talking about mental health reduces stigma

Covid in Vietnam

Covid lockdowns in Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City

Art, gardening and wellbeing during Covid

How art and gardening has saved some people’s mental health during the pandemic

The Kindness Test

What does kindness mean to you?

Antibody cocktails against Covid

When should Covid antibody treatment be used?

The psychology of courage and bravery

Why are some people able to keep calm in an emergency whilst others panic or freeze?

Impact of wildfires

Short and long term consequences of fires on health

Twisties and sporting mental health

Twisties and sporting mental health. Shortsightedness in children during the pandemic

Covid vaccination in prisons

Covid vaccination in prisons; do incentives like free tuition get people to get the jab

Could the flu vaccine protect against severe Covid-19?

Assessing the evidence: Can the flu vaccine ameliorate the effects of covid-19?

Mental health recovery stories

How to help people going through mental health crises

Lambda variant of Sars-Cov-2

Is the lambda variant of Sars-Cov-2 evading vaccines?

Mixing Covid vaccines

Mixing Covid vaccines and spreading doses out. Have food labels in Chile reduced obesity?

Tanzania joins Covax

Tanzania joins Covax; the first national TB Survey in South Africa and lockdown memories

New treatment for Covid

New treatment for Covid; Vaccinating a whole town in Brazil; Protection against Dengue

FDA approves new Alzheimer’s drug

Controversial approval of new Alzheimer’s drug; news on chances of catching Covid twice.

Black Fungus epidemic in India

Could over the counter Steroids be driving the Black Fungus epidemic in India?

Is kindness contagious?

New research finds kindness really does spread according to scientists in California

When to have your second vaccine dose?

When to have your second Covid vaccine dose; Ovarian Cancer screening trial; Misophonia

Is BMI an outdated risk measure?

Is BMI an outdated measure for risk of type 2 diabetes in diverse ethnic groups?

Tanzania's new Covid prevention measures

Tanzania's new Covid prevention measures; celebrating the Windrush generation in theatre

India’s Covid-19 surge

India's Covid surge update. New Malaria Vaccine breakthrough. How moving helps our minds

Medical mysteries with neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan

Neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan on medical mysteries from around the world

Chile’s vaccine roll out

Covid variants; India’s double mutant. Chile’s vaccine roll out. Dementia and sidewalks

Mental Health and the long term implications of Covid

Mental Health and Covid; Fukushima a decade on; Fast accurate saliva test for concussion

Can we eradicate leprosy?

Senegal has embarked on a campaign to stop the disease in its tracks

Covid vaccines for children

Covid vaccines for children and how to overcome hesitancy in parents

Working with disability

Measures to empower people living with disability in Senegal

Can the common cold prevent Covid?

Can a cold prevent Covid, mental health in Covid medical staff, and our amazing heart.

Combatting mental illness

Mental health issues for breastfeeding mothers and why swimming can help

Vaccine and blood clots

Covid vaccines and blood clots, Tanzania’s hidden epidemic? Haitian healthcare in Chile

Covid-19 vaccination in Africa

How the roll out of vaccines is progressing

Do vaccines cure Long Covid?

Long Covid and vaccines, blood transfusion myths, and Migraines

Modern medicine versus the spirits

Can traditional treatments, including calling on ancestors, help with serious ailments?

Pregnancy and Covid-19 vaccination

Health Check examines the issues around Covid-19 vaccines and pregnancy

Africa’s blood shortage

Why don’t people want to give blood?

Long Covid: solving the mysteries

The UK has launched four major research programmes into Long Covid

Sexual health, Covid-19 vaccines

A neglected area of reproductive health and concerns over Covid-19 vaccination in Africa

Covid surge in Mozambique

Doctor in Mozambique’s largest hospital on the massive surge in Covid cases and deaths

Superbugs and superfoods

How to combat antibiotic resistance and the truth about the health claims of coconut oil

Covid vaccines: bad news, good news

AstraZeneca vaccine disappoints in South Africa but may reduce virus spread elsewhere

Vaccinating Africa against Covid-19

Vaccinating Africa’s 1.2 billion people against Covid-19 & simple sanitation solutions

Covid-19 vaccines prevent 100% of deaths

With a new slew of good Covid vaccine trial results, a remarkable trend emerges

Brazilian city’s Covid crisis: ‘It’s like Hell’

Health system meltdown as coronavirus infections surge in Manaus for a second time

First days of India’s Covid vaccination programme

India’s Covid mass vaccination begins. But there are questions

WHO warns against vaccine rollout unfairness

Are poorer countries missing out in the global vaccine rollout? A warning from the WHO

The first year of the pandemic

The show looks back at the pandemic exactly one year since we first reported its start

How children think about maths and time

Doughnuts today or tomorrow? How 4 year olds understand time

Ambiguous loss: a different kind of grief

Have you lost a loved one who is still a part of your life in some way?

In Iran, one in five infected by coronavirus

Study reveals prevalence of coronavirus infection across Iran, with 72 percent in one city

Gene therapy for sickle cell disease

Gene therapy has transformed the lives of six young people with sickle cell disease

Milestone in HIV prevention for women

African clinical study finds an injection every 8 weeks protects women from HIV infection

Another week, another Covid-19 vaccine success

Good news about Covid vaccines keeps coming but can everyone benefit from the successes?

Measles outbreak threat due to Covid

Disruption to measles immunisation raises the risk of large outbreaks in Africa

Covid vaccine ‘90% effective’

How big a deal is the ‘90% effective’ coronavirus vaccine?

Covid-19 vaccines: Unknowns and dilemmas

What we will not know when the first Covid-19 vaccines are deployed

Covid-19 plasma therapy trial results ‘disappointing’

Indian trial finds that convalescent plasma therapy has little benefit against Covid-19

Coronavirus update

As South Africa goes into lockdown what measures are they taking? Plus big data in Taiwan

Autism: the problems of fitting in

Many people with autism learn strategies to help them blend in: but there can be costs

Lighting the brain after birth

The infra-red device that can detect brain damage within minutes of a baby being born