Health Check

BBC World Service

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

  1. 19 HR AGO

    Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

    An Ebola outbreak that started in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading in the region and has been declared a health emergency. Health Check’s Claudia Hammond has the latest with BBC reporter Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa, Heather Kerr, Country Director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the DRC, and Professor Trudie Lang, head of the Global Health Network at Oxford University. Claudia is joined in the studio by BBC health reporter Laura Foster. They discuss the call for more testing of drugs with under-represented groups, after a study of Black African Americans, smokers, and people with complex health conditions in the US showed that an asthma drug, Tezepelumab, led to 70% fewer asthma attacks in people with severe asthma. They also hear about new hearing technology which can read peoples’ brainwaves to help people to pick out the single voice they want to listen to in a noisy room. Claudia speaks to Nima Mesgarani, Associate Professor at the Zuckerman Institute at  Columbia University in New York. And Claudia and Laura discuss why some cancer patients would fancy a pre-consultation with an AI avatar before a consultation with their real-life doctor? It's the subject of research by Dr Adam Raben, Chair of Radiation Oncology at the Helen F Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care in Newark, Delaware, USA; presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Congress. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Jonathan Blackwell & Clare Salisbury Image: A Congolese health worker checks the temperature to screen a traveller at the Grande Barrier border following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, at the border crossing point between Congo and Rwanda, in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo May 18, 2026

    26 min

  2. 13 MAY

    Why renaming a health condition matters

    Global health reporter Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia Hammond to discuss how renaming a common health condition affecting millions of women worldwide hopes to improve understanding, treatment and diagnoses. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). Dorcas also brings Claudia Hammond news of a controversial AI algorithm being used by the Kenyan Government to work out how much people should be charged for healthcare costs. We hear from Peru where researchers have been mapping pesticide use and cases of people getting cancer in a major new study. And from the USA where a study on our disease-fighting T cells shows that they become more effective after we’ve eaten a meal. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins, Georgia Christie and Jonathan Blackwell

    26 min

  3. 6 MAY

    Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

    We bring you the latest on the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise liner MV Hondius with BBC health reporter Smitha Mundasad. Endometriosis, where cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body, can take up to a decade to get diagnosed despite leaving some women in debilitating pain. A new scanning technique hoping to speed up that diagnosis. Dr Tatjana Gibbons, from Oxford University, who developed the test, explains how it works. We unpack how the way operations are schedules affects patient outcomes with transplants. How electricity is improving treatment for patients with a heart rhythm disorder. Professor Oussama Wazni explains how it works. And how seven rings can translate sign language into text. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins & Georgia Christie

    26 min

  4. 29 APR

    Psychedelic drugs as treatment

    The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just awarded fast track status to three companies developing psychedelic drugs as a treatment for addiction and other mental health issues. It comes after President Trump directed $50million dollars to increase their availability. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota to discuss what claims are made for the effectiveness of these drugs. A novel house design, called “Star Homes”, which promote airflow, block insects, and feature rainwater collection systems, can reduce child mortality, demonstrated by a randomised controlled trial in Tanzania. We hear from Professor Lorenz Von Seidlein from the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok about what makes these homes effective in lowering rates of malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. We hear that the Russian health minister has called for 1 in 3 Russians to be tested for HIV annually. Russia has long had high rates of HIV, but it now has the highest prevalence in Europe, with particularly high rates among Russian troops since the beginning of the Ukraine war. We also hear from David Méary, associate professor at the Université Grenoble Alpes, about whether infants have a sense of beauty. And Claudia and Camilla discuss habits that drive salt consumption in older people. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins and Jonathan Blackwell

    26 min

  5. 22 APR

    Making surgery safer for infants

    We learn about a new injectable microgel to help reduce bleeding in infants who require surgical care. In a mice model, it reduced bleeding by at least 50%. Ashley Brown, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and UNC Chapel Hill tells presenter Claudia Hammond more about this new material her team has designed. Joined by Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Boston University in the US, Dr Matthew Fox, Claudia hears about a mystery illness that is being investigated by health officials in Burundi, which has caused five deaths and sickened thirty-five people. So far lab analysis of the illness - which causes fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea - has been negative for Ebola and Marburg viruses, Rift Valley fever, and others. We hear about influential analysis from Cochrane which has concluded that "breakthrough" Alzheimer's drugs are unlikely to benefit patients. Researchers said the impact was "well below" what was needed to make a difference to dementia patients' lives. However, their report has also provoked a vicious backlash from equally esteemed scientists who label it as fundamentally flawed. We’re joined by health journalist Katie Silver in Mexico, who brings us the news that the President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has announced the details of a plan to introduce universal healthcare – no mean feat in country of 130 million people. And we hear about an experiment that was done by academics to see if they could trick AI chatbots into believing in an entirely fake disease. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

    26 min

  6. 15 APR

    Risky requests for unvaccinated blood on the rise

    A minority of patients requiring blood transfusions are increasingly requesting ‘unvaccinated’ blood in the United States, per a new report published in the journal Transfusion. Our studio guest today, genito-urinary consultant Vanessa Apea, explains how this can lead to potentially dangerous delays and higher risks. Presenter Claudia Hammond speaks to Dr Angela Wu, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group at the University of Oxford, about a new overview of the best available evidence worldwide for smoking cessation. The study, published in the journal Addiction, has found that nicotine‑containing e‑cigarettes appear to be more effective for stopping people smoking than other interventions. We hear how metabolic liver disease could affect nearly 1.8 billion people by 2050, according to new research published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology journal. The growing number of cases means that many people are at risk of developing serious complications, however, the study also found that although more people are developing the disease, the overall impact on health has remained stable due to advances in treatment and care. We also hear from BBC World Service reporter Sen Nguyen in Vietnam as Hanoi plans to pilot a new low-emission zone from July to tackle air pollution. We hear what the proposed changes are and with the prevalence of diesel motorbikes in the city, how prepared are residents, workers and businesses for this change? And Claudia and Vanessa discuss whether living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria, following new research published in the journal Molecular Ecology. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Jonathan Blackwell and Hannah Robins

    26 min

  7. 8 APR

    How awe can boost your health

    As the Artemis II crew return to Earth, we uncover the health benefits of the feeling of awe with world-renowned expert, Dacher Keltner. We also discuss how we might find more awe in our everyday lives. What impact is the Iran war having on global health? Journalist Andrew Green unpicks the ramifications of shipping restrictions, ‘black rain’ in Tehran and hacking attacks on medical suppliers. How two boyhood friends have helped developed a new kind of prosthesis with a programme based in Guadalajara. Our reporter Rogelio Navarro has the story. Progress on our understanding of Noma, a severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and face. Plus, how some blind people are using echolocation to help them detect objects in their environment. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins and Jonathan Blackwell (Photo: Nasa astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon, 2 April, 2026. Credit: Nasa/Reuters)

    26 min

  8. 1 APR

    What next for sunscreen in Australia?

    In Australia last year, it was discovered that hardly any sunscreen products actually offered the protection listed on the bottle. Now the Australian regulator has finally proposed sweeping reforms in the country known to be a skin cancer hotspot. Dr Michelle Wong, chemist and science communicator of LabMuffin Beauty Science explains what impact the changes might make. Northern Cyprus is one of the cheapest places to get IVF treatment. However, a British couple have recently discovered their children, conceived at a clinic in the country, are not biologically related despite the couple requesting the same sperm donor for both children. We find out more about what happened and how IVF clinics are regulated globally. How mosquitoes could be used to vaccinate bats against rabies and nipah, and the potential benefit to human health. In Ghana, Pakistan, Rwanda, and South Africa more than half of patients with serious injuries failed to reach medical care within an hour of being injured according to new research. Dr Leila Ghalichi, Senior Researcher at Department of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Birmingham explains what could be done to improve the situation. And, how sperm behaves in space, and what that means for colonising other planets. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

    26 min
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About

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC World Service
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    301
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Health Check

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