Health Check

BBC World Service

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HEALTH & FITNESS
EVERY TWO WEEKS

Health Check Podcast

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

1 DAY AGO

Vector-borne diseases

As vector-borne diseases begin to spread more widely around the world, we look at why, what the effects are, and what can be done. Also on the program, a new study has examined the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, what did they find, and how is this different from previous papers? And can space flight age you? A new study tries to find out. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

26 min
18 SEPT

Polio Vaccination in Afghanistan

The Taliban has denied reports that they are halting polio vaccines in Afghanistan – so what is going on? We take a look at what is happening in the country, and how it could effect polio eradication efforts worldwide. Also on the show, an important U.S. pathogen database loses funding, and why placebos that cause you pain may be more effective. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

26 min
11 SEPT

Haiti: Healthcare in the Midst of Conflict

As Haiti expands its state of emergency to cover the entire country, we take a look at the deterioration of the country’s healthcare system. Also on the show, how does long covid affect children, is a global twin book just down to IVF, and we hear from you about objects associated with grief that have sentimental importance. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

26 min
4 SEPT

The race to distribute Mpox vaccines

Mpox vaccines are finally arriving on the African continent, but are they getting to the places that need them most? We look at what the situation is, and why it can take so long for vaccines to get where they are needed. Also on the show, can you catch up on missed weekday sleep on the weekends, and the test that shows promise for new snakebite treatments.

26 min
28 AUG

Living with a new brain

In 2017, Adam Tjolle accidentally discovered he had a brain tumour. At the time, presenter and close friend Claudia Hammond followed him on his journey before, during and after undergoing life-changing surgery. Meeting up now in Malawi, Adam and Claudia listen back to the old recordings and reflect on what has changed for Adam since his operation. Adam still lives in Scotland, but his new life after brain surgery sometimes brings him to Malawi, where he works with the Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (LSPCA). Claudia joins Adam and Dr Tino Razemba at one of the LSPCA’s ‘spay days’, neutering local dogs in underserved communities. As well as getting involved, Claudia has a chance to see Adam’s passion first-hand. Prior to his surgery, Adam’s prognosis was a life expectancy of seven years. That time period has now passed. So what does life mean to Adam now? And today, as one in two people born after 1960 will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point, what can the rest of us can learn from Adam’s experience of living with uncertainty? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Sophie Ormiston and Paula McGrath

26 min
21 AUG

The latest on the mpox public health emergency

The World Health Organisation has officially declared the spread of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern. Health Check has been following the spread of the disease across the Democratic Republic of Congo and now internationally in recent weeks, and Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health journalist Philippa Roxby to discuss the latest developments. Claudia and Philippa also look at the doctors strikes taking place across India following the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. Hundreds of thousands of doctors have refused to work, with hospitals and clinics turning away non-emergency patients. We also find out how prescription drugs get given their names, with Professor Caleb Alexander from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health telling us about the risks of getting it wrong. Claudia also hears how personal objects can help us form links in our brains and remember our loved ones. And the study that suggests we age dramatically in two bursts – at the ages of 44 and 60. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh

26 min
14 AUG

Catching up with Covid

More than four years after the start of the Covid pandemic, the virus is showing no signs of fading away. This week, the World Health Organisation warned, in fact, that coronavirus is making a comeback, with 84 countries reporting an increase in positive test rates. For an in-depth look at how the world is coping with the disease, Claudia Hammond speaks to immunologist Professor Danny Altmann from Imperial College London to ask what the future might hold. Claudia is also joined by global health journalist Andrew Green to discuss whether Covid conspiracy theories are leading to a rise in AIDS denialism. We hear the latest developments on the spread of the mosquito and midge-borne Oropouche virus, as cases of the disease are confirmed to have been found in Europe for the first time. And as many of Europe’s major football leagues prepare to get underway again this week, we hear about the tobacco product snus that’s proving to be particularly popular with footballers, and whether it could give them an edge or pose a health risk. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh

26 min
7 AUG

MPox outbreak worsens

Across the African continent cases of MPox have surged 160% this year. What is behind the spread, and what can be done to stop it? Also on the programme: the prescription of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy is increasing as more health benefits are discovered, but what does that mean for supply issues? And there is a lot of talk about lactic acid and the Olympics, but does that word mean what you think it means? (Photo: A mother checks the progress of her son after recovering from Mpox - an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 18 July, 2024. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)

26 min

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

Creator

BBC World Service
Years Active

2007 - 2024
Episodes

215
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© (C) BBC 2024
Show Website

Health Check