One in five of us suffer with chronic pain globally and the exact cause of it is often unknown making it very hard to treat. However, in what has been hailed as a remarkable breakthrough, a gene has been identified that is critical for regulating pain signals. Professor David Bennett, head of Clinical Neurology at Oxford, who led the research explains.BBC Africa’s health correspondent Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia to delve into a decade-long research programme that found child mortality rates almost halved when poorer families in Kenya were given $1000 unconditionally.Chhavi Sachdev reports from India where government efforts to curtail rising rabies infections from stray dog bites has caused mass uproar.We explore the drivers behind a global wildfire paradox where scientists have observed a decline in the total area burned by fires but found the number of people exposed to wildfires has increased. Plus, Dorcas brings us the latest on the $9.7 million worth of contraceptives due to be destroyed after the scaling back of USAID.Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant producers: Katie Tomsett and Alice McKee
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Using AI to discover new antibiotics
AI models have helped to discover new potential antibiotics to treat drug resistant infections of gonorrhoea and MRSA. We speak to Professor Jim Collins from MIT to understand what’s next for his machine-generated medicines and the role AI could play in the future of drug discovery.
A new report has found high rates of bloodstream infections and antibiotic resistance in central lines used in Indian ICUs. Family doctor Ann Robinson joins Claudia to understand the risks posed to already vulnerable patients. We consider a new review that found no evidence ketamine is effective at helping those with chronic pain, despite it being prescribed off-label for this use in some countries.
Rwandan MPs have approved lowering the age adolescents can access sexual and reproductive health services without parental consent from 18 to 15. We catch up with BBC reporter Dorcas Wangira on what this could mean for the health of adolescents and the fallout of the decision in Rwanda.
Finally, people with diabetes in India have long been told to steer clear of mangoes - Ann and Claudia unpick whether this advice needs to change.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
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How plastic harms health
As negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty are due to conclude at the United Nations, we check in on whether health is on the agenda with Dr Cressida Bowyer, Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability from the University of Portsmouth in the UK who is at the conference. We also hear from John Chweya, a Kenyan waste picker, who has seen the impacts of plastic waste firsthand and delve into the scientific evidence about how plastic harms health with Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London. 25 years on from the SuperAgers research project being established, we catch up with lead investigator Sandra Weintraub who is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg Mesulam Institute to find out what factors link these age-defying brains. Claudia and BBC Health Reporter Philippa Roxby have a go at conch blowing as there is new research saying it might help the breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnoea. Plus, research into the relationship between a covid-19 infection and RSV in children.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
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Malnutrition in Gaza
UN-backed experts – the IPC - say the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" in Gaza and that there is mounting evidence that widespread malnutrition is driving a rapid rise in hunger-related deaths among the 2.1 million Palestinians there. Aid worker Olga Cherevko shares what she’s witnessed on the ground and Claudia is also joined by specialist Dr Marko Kerac to understand the health impacts of malnutrition and what interventions are urgently needed.
In a world-first the UK have begun to rollout a vaccine for gonorrhoea, an infection that if left untreated can lead to infertility. We ask what impact this vaccine might have on a global level. The WHO has issued an urgent call for action to tackle mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus that has seen increasing cases since the beginning of the year. Professor Trudie Lang explains how the hardest hit countries are responding. Using virtual reality, scientists have discovered that our immune system kicks into action at just the sight of a sick person. Matt and Claudia look at the unusual methods used to understand how our brains prepare for contact with a pathogen. Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producers: Alice McKee & Katie Tomsett
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Making human blood deadly to mosquitoes
Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by making the blood of treated persons deadly to the mosquitoes that carry the disease. Journalist Layal Liverpool explores the impact this new approach could have.Six months on from President Trump’s dramatic cuts to US foreign aid, the HIV/AIDS relief fund PEPFAR hangs in the balance. We hear how the cuts have impacts one HIV clinic in Thailand and Devex correspondent Andrew Green unpacks the bigger picture.Could a temporary tattoo help combat drink spiking? We hear how it works and consider if anyone would actually wear one. A new neuroscience project is training non-specialists in India and Tanzania to gather brain data using portable headsets. Dr Tara Thiagarajan from Sapien Labs explains how diversifying brain data sets, which are often biased towards western populations, might improve health outcomes. How we sweat and why it matters. Layal and Claudia unpick new research that suggests sweat rises like a tide inside our skin.Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins
Assistant Producer: Alice McKee
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