Health Check

A new anti-malarial compound has been designed to target disease-causing parasites responsible for up to 90% of malaria cases in humans. Stephanie Tam reports on a new online training programme designed to help address the mental health care gap in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that is heavily impacted by conflict. Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at lowering the price the US pays for medicines. We look at what is included in the order, why drug prices vary around the world, and what impact this motion could have on US and global prices paid for medicines. Dr Cecilia Kanyama and Professor Thomas Harrison share their decades-long effort to improve treatment options for cryptococcal meningitis. The refined treatment regimen, discovered alongside Joe Jarvis and their team, gives hope to the hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive patients who are diagnosed with this fungal infection each year.Finally, ‘scorpionism’ - or the medical condition caused by a scorpion sting, is rapidly on the rise in Brazil, we look at what is driving this increasing health threat. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Hannah Robins & Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Gavin Wong & Steve Greenwood

In this fascinating discussion, science journalist Caroline Williams dives into interoception, revealing how our brains interpret internal signals and its impact on well-being. Carrim Mpaweni updates us on a promising tuberculosis vaccine trial in Malawi, aiming to revolutionize TB prevention. Psychotherapist Sophie Scott shares effective strategies for encouraging loved ones to seek help for mental health issues, emphasizing empathy and communication. Tune in for a rich blend of science, health, and emotional insight!

In this discussion, family doctor Anne Robinson highlights groundbreaking findings on the shingles vaccine, showing a 23% reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. The conversation dives into the unexpected benefits of the vaccine, linking it to better heart health. Robinson also explores the challenges in eradicating schistosomiasis, a major public health issue. Additionally, she touches on significant advancements in prostate cancer treatments and a quirky study revealing that kissing poses minimal risk for those with celiac disease. It's an enlightening mix of health insights!

Dorcas Wangira, BBC's Africa health correspondent, discusses the alarming destruction of Sudan's Mycetoma Research Centre amid conflict, impacting care for a neglected disease. The podcast also highlights innovative telehealth solutions for remote communities in the Americas. Furthermore, researchers reveal promising results for a non-hormonal male contraceptive implant and the potential for adults to overcome severe peanut allergies through microdosing. Finally, insights into the health effects of traditional versus processed diets in urban Africa add depth to the conversation.

After 3 years of discussions, 194 member countries of the World Health Organisation have agreed to the text of a pandemic treaty designed to make the world safer from a future pandemic – but what could it mean in practice and how are countries held to account? Also on the show, how treating high blood pressure can reduce the risk of dementia. Researchers have suggested it takes more than just medication; lifestyle changes are also key to lowering the risk. We learn how Oropouche is underdiagnosed across the Americas and the impact climate has on the spread of this insect-borne virus. Plus, a new weight loss pill has been found to reduce weight and blood sugar levels in its latest trial. Has an anecdote you read online or heard from a friend ever changed how you feel about the medical choices you make? We hear about the power of anecdotes, especially negative ones, when making a decision for your own health. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Katie Tomsett & Hannah Robins Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Co-ordinator: Josie Hardy(Image:Co-chair of the negotiations and French ambassador for Global Health Anne-Claire Amprou (L) and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after a consensus on the Pandemic Agreement at the WHO headquarters. Credit: CHRISTOPHER BLACK/World Health Organization/AFP via Getty Images)

Has the long-standing mystery of which wild animals form a reservoir of mpox in the wild finally been solved? Some scientists think they have cracked the case, pinpointing the fire-footed rope squirrel as the culprit, but questions remain before we can definitively say this species is to blame. Reporter Chhavi Sachdev in Mumbai has some good news – an indigenous antibiotic breakthrough has been found to be effective at treating antibiotic resistant pneumonia. We hear what it takes to develop a new antibiotic and what makes Nafithromycin such a ground-breaking discovery. Also on the show, the biological mechanism that drives apathy and lack of motivation in late-stage cancer patients and how nature-based interventions, such as agroforestry, have unintended health benefits.Plus, have you ever wondered why humans can’t regenerate our teeth? We hear how some scientists are growing teeth in a lab to transform dental regeneration in the future.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Searle Whittney and Jackie Margerum

What would you do if you have always considered yourself healthy and one day you find out that not only is this not the case, but you in fact need a new organ? We follow BBC journalist Mike Powell on his journey to receive a life-changing kidney transplant and talk to his donor who made it all possible.With a growing global need for kidneys, we hear from others around the world that are on long transplant waiting lists and from Professor Elmi Muller who shares what we can do to reduce the wait time. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett Studio Managers: Jackie Margerum and Gwynfor Jones

‘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(Photo: Counsellor "Gogo" Shery Ziwakayi (R) sits on a bench in conversation with a client "Muzukuru" Choice Jiya (L) during a private session at the Friendship Bench in Harare, 4 November, 2022. Credit: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP)

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