Radio Davos

Mounting evidence suggests people who live with polluted air are more likely to catch and die from COVID-19. WHO’s Dr Maria Neira tells us why we need a cleaner economy as we rebuild from lockdown, and The Clean Air Fund’s Jane Burston says pressure for change will come from the people.

Why are people of colour more likely to catch and die from COVID-19? Devi Sridhar, Professor of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, gives us her view, and also tells us why the as-yet unknown long-term consequences of the virus for survivors could make COVID-19 ‘our generation’s polio’.

Max Hall speaks to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala about issues facing Africa during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

She served as finance minister under two Nigerian presidents, rose through the ranks of the World Bank to become managing director, and now chairs the board of the global vaccine alliance GAVI. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala tells us her concerns about the continuing spread of COVID-19 across Africa and the devastating impact an economic contraction would have on years of development. Also in this episode, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet talks about the links between COVID-19 and race and inequality - and also on how police and governments must deploy an intelligent, sensitive response to unrest.

This week the World Economic Forum and the Prince of Wales launched the Great Reset - a project to bring the world's best minds together to seek a better, fairer, greener, healthier planet as we rebuild from the pandemic. The podcast includes contributions from IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, labour representative Sharan Burrow and the chief executives of Microsoft, Mastercard and BP.

In January, Stanford historian and author Niall Ferguson saw the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan for what it was - a pandemic in the making. But what can history teach us about recovery and the road ahead?

The 'Great Lockdown' that is ravaging the global economy is quite unlike the financial crash of 2008 and requires a different and even bigger response, the IMF Chief Economist says. Also: a survey of 350 business leaders reveals what they see as the biggest risks from the pandemic in the next 18 months.

With sports in lockdown, online gaming is enjoying a bonanza. Will esports replace physical games in the long term? And why were gamers better prepared than the rest of us to weather the pandemic? Plus: the race for a virus - we hear from companies on the scientific front line.

What would a child ask a doctor about COVID-19? On this week’s World Vs Virus, Dr Ranj Singh, presenter of BBC TV's 'Get Well Soon', takes questions from a panel of youngsters, and shares tips on how best to talk to children about the pandemic.