PODCAST

Health Check

BBC World Service

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

health & fitness

All Episodes

26:28

Making surgery safer for infants

Health Check ·

2026/04/22

We learn about a new injectable microgel to help reduce bleeding in infants who require surgical care. In a mice model, it reduced bleeding by at least 50%. Ashley Brown, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and UNC Chapel Hill tells presenter Claudia Hammond more about this new material her team has designed.Joined by Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Boston University in the US, Dr Matthew Fox, Claudia hears about a mystery illness that is being

26:29

Risky requests for unvaccinated blood on the rise

Health Check ·

2026/04/15

A minority of patients requiring blood transfusions are increasingly requesting ‘unvaccinated’ blood in the United States, per a new report published in the journal Transfusion. Our studio guest today, genito-urinary consultant Vanessa Apea, explains how this can lead to potentially dangerous delays and higher risks.Presenter Claudia Hammond speaks to Dr Angela Wu, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group at the University of Oxford, about a new overview of the

26:27

How awe can boost your health

Health Check ·

2026/04/08

As the Artemis II crew return to Earth, we uncover the health benefits of the feeling of awe with world-renowned expert, Dacher Keltner. We also discuss how we might find more awe in our everyday lives.What impact is the Iran war having on global health? Journalist Andrew Green unpicks the ramifications of shipping restrictions, ‘black rain’ in Tehran and hacking attacks on medical suppliers.How two boyhood friends have helped developed a new kind of prosthesis with a programme based in Guadalajara

26:29

What next for sunscreen in Australia?

Health Check ·

2026/04/01

In Australia last year, it was discovered that hardly any sunscreen products actually offered the protection listed on the bottle. Now the Australian regulator has finally proposed sweeping reforms in the country known to be a skin cancer hotspot. Dr Michelle Wong, chemist and science communicator of LabMuffin Beauty Science explains what impact the changes might make.Northern Cyprus is one of the cheapest places to get IVF treatment. However, a British couple have recently discovered their

26:28

Antimicrobial resistance in conflict zones

Health Check ·

2026/03/25

For the last few weeks, the news has been dominated by the situation in the Middle East. Joining Claudia Hammond is BBC Health Correspondent James Gallagher who speaks with Dr Antoine Abou Fayad, a microbiologist and medicinal chemist based in Beirut, Lebanon. He reveals that war, just like the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, provides the perfect storm to accelerate the spread of multidrug-resistant infections. And nobody is safe.Following the recent meningitis B outbreak in the UK which has

26:28

Does your home country impact your cancer risk?

Health Check ·

2026/03/18

North Korean defectors and lifelong South Korean residents have significantly different cancer rates, despite their genetic similarities; new research finds. Presenter Laura Foster unpacks this study, explaining what it tells us about how upbringing and environment contribute to different cancer rates, and how migration can change these risks.A new study has found GLP-1s – drugs typically used to treat diabetes and obesity – could have an unexpected benefit for patients dealing with substance abuse

26:31

Using lasers to fight brain cancer

Health Check ·

2026/03/11

New research from Yale shows that aging doesn’t have to result in mental and physical decline. In fact, they found that nearly half of older adults actually improved in cognitive or physical ability over a 12-year period. Dr Graham Easton, a family doctor, discusses what this can teach us about what we can and can’t control when it comes to aging.Brain tumours can be notoriously difficult to treat because many therapeutic drugs are not allowed through the blood-brain barrier – an extremely selective

26:29

Do collagen supplements really do anything?

Health Check ·

2026/03/04

Collagen supplements have become increasingly popular over recent years. However, a new review has revealed that although taking collagen may rejuvenate the skin, it won’t stop you from getting wrinkles. Dr Ann Robinson, a family doctor, discusses findings on what collagen is actually doing for your skin. The world is short of nearly a million midwives, a new report in Women and Birth warns. Daniela Drandić, the Head of Advocacy & Communications at the International Confederation of Midwives, is

26:29

Could a single vaccine block nearly all viruses?

Health Check ·

2026/02/25

A universal nasal spray vaccine that could block nearly all viruses, and possibly also bacteria and allergens has been successful at early stages of research. By leaving immune cells ‘on alert’, they become ready to jump into action no matter what infection tries to get into the body. Dr Matthew Fox, Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Global Health at Boston University, explains what this could mean for the future of disease prevention.Four years into the Ukraine war, the founder of

26:29

Surviving without lungs for 48 hours

Health Check ·

2026/02/18

How a patient survived for 48 hours without lungs. Too ill to receive a lung transplant straight away, the man relied on an artificial lung while his body recovered from an infection. As he prepares to repeat the procedure for the first time, Dr Ankit Bharat, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine explains the groundbreaking technique. Radiotherapy for abdominal cancers can severely damage the uterus and ovaries, causing infertility. However, a team have

26:29

Are statins safer than we thought?

Health Check ·

2026/02/11

Statins are one of the most prescribed drugs in the world as they are highly effective at reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol that causes cardiovascular disease. A new review in the Lancet has found there are far fewer side effects associated with their use than previously thought. New Nipah cases have been reported in India and Bangladesh. Trudie Lang Professor of Global Health Research at the University of Oxford explains the significance and how worried we should be.A team in Cardiff, Wales have

26:28

Why do some people hoard?

Health Check ·

2026/02/04

Many of us can empathise with that feeling of keeping stuff for years and years. We might keep treasured objects with real sentimental value, or we might have items for a long time - and yet we can't really explain why. For those of us who don’t like getting rid of our belongings, life can feel very full of stuff. But when does a tendency to hold on to things become more worrying? It can be difficult to put a figure on just how many people have what's known as hoarding disorder. So what causes this

26:29

South African coming-of-age initiations

Health Check ·

2026/01/28

For some communities in South Africa coming-of-age initiations are a hugely significant moment, but there have been rising concerns over the safety of the circumcisions at the heart of this ritual. Forty-eight young men died last year and the government are now introducing measures to tackle the issue. BBC’s southern Africa correspondent Pumza Fihlani reports on the latest.Research suggests our hair does not grow by pushing up and out but by being pulled by a coordinated network of moving cells. Our

26:31

Could the shingles vaccine really slow down the...

Health Check ·

2026/01/21

Joined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota, presenter Claudia Hammond discusses new research from the U.S. that has found that people who have had a vaccine against shingles seem to be aging more slowly.We hear from James Tibenderana, Chief Executive of Malaria Consortium about research from Brazil that shows that as deforestation expands, mosquitoes are increasingly using humans as a blood source instead of wildlife. What does this mean for the spread of mosquito-borne diseases?Plus, why does

26:28

What effect does exercise really have on depression?

Health Check ·

2026/01/14

We are often told exercise is good for boosting your mood, but a new Cochrane review has looked at what the evidence says about how much difference exercise can really make when treating depression.Many patients with chronic conditions fail to take medications as prescribed. We discuss a novel pill casing that can send a signal once it has been broken down in the stomach. Prof Giovanni Traverso, gastroenterologist and director of the Laboratory for Translational Engineering at MIT, explains how it

26:26

China’s latest bid to boost its birth rate

Health Check ·

2026/01/07

China has just brought in taxes on contraception including condoms in a bid to increase the nation’s birth rate. What impact could this have when considered alongside other “fertility-friendly” policies? Global Health reporter Dorcas Wangira gives her verdict.Could RSV vaccination dramatically reduce childhood asthma? Professor Bart Lambrecht from Ghent University shares his latest research suggesting just that. How school-based vaccination programmes for HPV may provide cancer protection through

26:30

How can we eliminate malaria?

Health Check ·

2025/12/31

In the past decade there has been little progress in lowering malaria cases, with over half a million people still dying from the mosquito-borne disease every year. We look at the big ideas and innovations of the future that could help us eliminate malaria once and for all. What would happen if we got rid of the insect responsible for spreading the malaria parasite? Claudia heads to Imperial College London where she is joined by Dr Federica Bernardini and their 120 colonies of mosquitos to find out

26:29

2025: A big year for tackling malaria

Health Check ·

2025/12/24

Malaria is still the third biggest killer on the planet and despite decades of serious investment it’s a disease that is still very much with us. But that investment is starting to pay off - 2025 has been a big year for new ways of tackling the disease.This week we’re reflecting on the progress made in 2025 – but also asking what impact unprecedented cuts to global health funding might have on whether children living in hot and humid regions of the world contract malaria. Our expert guide is James

26:31

Behind the Huntington’s disease breakthrough

Health Check ·

2025/12/17

James Gallagher joins Claudia Hammond to share his pick for health breakthrough of 2025 – the world's first gene therapy to treat Huntington’s disease.Popular science author Mary Roach joins Claudia to discuss the future of prosthetics.Also on the show, James shares his latest reporting on how sperm from a donor with a cancer-causing gene was used to conceive almost 200 children.We hear from Mohsen Rajabi how teachers in Iran are providing first-line mental health support to refugee students as they

26:28

Shingles vaccine slows the progression of dementia

Health Check ·

2025/12/10

We already knew that the shingles vaccine reduces the risk of developing dementia, but new research has shown that it also slows the progression of the disease. BBC journalist Laura Foster discusses why this might be happening.Can a negative mindset reduce the effectiveness of medical treatments? Claudia speaks with Dr Katharina Schmidt in Essen, Germany to find out about her new research on the “nocebo effect”, and learn what it means for healthcare providers.Peru has one of the highest burdens of

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