Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.
Latest episodes
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Solving the mystery of allergies
In this week's Health Check, Claudia Hammond looks at a new study in mice that examines two longstanding questions about allergies: why do they often emerge only after repeated exp…
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What happens in the ovaries postmenopause?
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, it is not all over for ovaries once a woman is post-menopausal. In a study published in Aging Cell, researchers studying the ovaries from 28 wom…
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Should we be worried about the plague?
This week, Claudia is joined in the studio by Clare Wilson, Science writer at The i Paper.After a 28-young woman who was studying infectious diseases in a lab in Siberia has died f…
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Do men and women receive different medical treatment?
Men and women are frequently treated differently by healthcare systems according to a review of global research published in the journal, PLOS One. Women with the same medical cond…
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Could AI improve healthcare in low-income communities?
Health Check discusses the role of AI in healthcare after the announcement that the Gates Foundation will put hundreds of millions of US dollars towards AI access in low-income com…
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Expanding reproductive choice in women's sports
The Spanish Football Association has announced a new programme that will make fertility treatments such as IVF and egg freezing available to female players and referees, but what d…
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Addressing the risks of period pain in childhood
There is still a lot unknown about why period pain can be so intense for some and not others. To find out more, Claudia Hammond speaks with Dr Melissa Lenert, research scientist at…
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Vaccinating against skin cancer
Usually when we think about vaccines, we imagine preventing viruses, but could mRNA vaccine technology also be used to reduce skin cancer recurrence? Claudia Hammond discusses the…
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27 min ↗
Understanding OCD
Everyone experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time. But how does it feel to be trapped in a constant cycle of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours? This is the realit…
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The health threat of rising temperatures
With recent heat waves in many regions of the world, including parts of Asia, Europe and North America, Claudia Hammond speaks to Eran Bendavid, Professor of Medicine and Health Po…
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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Three months since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 1,900 people have died from the virus, with more than 4200 confirmed cases, ma…
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Why are some people microdosing weight loss drugs?
Some people are injecting a fraction of the standard dose of weight loss drugs and hoping to still receive the benefits, but many are doing so without any medical oversight and the…
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Steering in the right direction to road safety
Road accidents are a leading cause of death and injury around the world, and in 2020, the UN General Assembly set a target to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030. Claudia Hammond is…
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USA military launches testosterone screening programme
Last week, the US Defence Secretary announced a new policy that will require US military personnel to undergo annual screening for testosterone deficiency, however some health expe…
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HIV fears due to Niger’s anti-gay laws
Organisations providing HIV services to gay men have had to close in Niger after a ban on same sex acts. Gay men there fear coming forward to be tested or treated and have lost acc…
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Health challenges after Venezuela earthquakes
On June 24th, twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, and in the weeks since the healthcare system has been overwhelmed with need. Claudia Hammond speaks with International Red Cross repre…
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Ebola drug trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Two Ebola drugs are due to be trialled in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as cases of the disease continue to rise in the country. BBC health and science correspondent James…
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Lack of evidence most IVF ‘add-ons’ improve fertility
Many people with infertility use in vitro fertilisation (IVF), however the probability of having a baby following IVF is only approximately 30-40% per cycle and decreases significa…
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The global toll of food poisoning
The WHO has conducted their first global assessment of food contamination in over a decade and found that more than 1.5 million people are killed by food poisoning every year. Dr A…
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How reading fiction impacts our mental health
How does reading shape our mind and spirit? Why do novels make us feel more human? In front of a live audience at the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts in Wales in the UK, Claudia…