People Fixing the World

We look at two new pieces of health technology which allow medics to treat people without touching them. Breast cancer fatality rates in India are higher than in other countries because women are often reluctant to go for screening. A start up called Niramai wants to change this. They use thermal imaging and machine learning to screen for breast cancer without patients having to be seen or touched...

The ability to print objects in three dimensions has been heralded as the solutions to many problems. We check out some of the latest innovations. In Jordan we hear from the doctors who are printing prosthetic arms for people injured in conflict. In the UK we meet the man fitted with the world's first 3D printed eye. And we find out how an Egyptian inventor is using 3D printing to help blind child...

The ability to print objects in three dimensions has been heralded as the solutions to many problems. We check out some of the latest innovations. In Jordan we hear from the doctors who are printing prosthetic arms for people injured in conflict. In the UK we meet the man fitted with the world's first 3D printed eye. And we find out how an Egyptian inventor is using 3D printing to help blind child...

Our desire for new clothes creates a lot of waste and much of it ends up in landfill. But a lot of that discarded material can be turned into something useful. We hear from the people in Ghana who are taking old clothes that are sent from Europe, and turning them into pillows, doormats and mops. In Italy, we visit the company making affordable clothes out of fabric that luxury fashion brands don't...

Politics in the age of social media can often be angry and divisive. And many people feel their voices aren’t being heard by those in power. But Polis is an online platform that’s trying to make democracy work better. It helps people to reach a consensus even on very polarising issues. We visit Taiwan where it’s been used to draft more than 20 laws and regulations. And in the UK, we see how Polis...

More than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their home around the world – fleeing conflict, natural disasters or persecution. Millions end up in refugee camps, living in tents. Around the world, designers and architects are trying to improve the lives of these displaced people, by improving the temporary homes they’re living in. From prefabricated shelters made using Swedish fla...

Bank accounts and clever investment schemes are being used to help improve the lives of homeless people. In the UK, a number of banks have started offering accounts to homeless people - which until recently were only available to people with a fixed address. Having a bank account can be a crucial turning point, and we meet a disabled homeless person in one of Britain's biggest cities, who's now ab...

If your child develops cancer and you live in a wealthy country there’s a really good chance they will survive - more than 80%. If you live elsewhere, the chances are much lower - less than 30%. Over a decade ago, Dr Mae Dolendo set up a centre in the Philippines to treat children with cancer. Since then she’s saved the lives of hundreds of children who’ve received treatment for free. Now others a...

Therapy has been helping Boko Haram survivors and street youth in Liberia turn their lives around. In northern Nigeria, a programme called Counselling on Wheels is offering mobile mental health services in remote and dangerous areas. They’ve been giving Boko Haram survivors and others affected by conflict a safe space to talk about the horrific violence and trauma they have been exposed to. In Lib...

How enzymes and earthen pots could help keep medicines safe. Access to life-saving medicines often relies on a complex system known as the cold-chain – the refrigerated lorries, store rooms and fridges, which keeps them at the right temperature from the factory to the patient. However, a traditional cold chain runs on electricity- meaning that it’s often difficult to keep medicines and vaccines co...

Could floating wind turbines and kites that generate electricity help fight climate change? There are lots of innovative new ways people are harnessing the power of the wind. We visit a floating wind farm off the coast of Scotland, check out wind turbines on street lamps and see how much power giant kites can generate. Along the way we investigate the massive potential of wind energy and assess th...

More than five million children live in orphanages or other institutions - the vast majority in low or middle income countries. Staff are often overstretched, poorly paid and don’t last long in the job, which leaves children deprived of one of the most important things for healthy development - a consistent, loving relationship. Organisations around the world are now working hard to find these chi...

How a race to write books and a gadget that counts words are helping child literacy. In South Africa 8 out of 10 children struggle to read by the age of 10. But a charity called Book Dash has come up with an innovative way of getting more kids to read. It holds events where teams of writers and illustrators create a book in just 12 hours. More than a hundred titles have been created and over 2 mil...

At the human library you borrow a person you wouldn’t usually meet for a half-hour frank conversation. The volunteers have various book titles from polyamorous to former prisoner. The aim of these face-to-face chats is to break down our assumptions and prejudices. We explore whether simple discussions can make a difference. Produced and presented by Claire Bates. Picture: Ronni Abergel, Human Libr...

Street harassment and violence against women in public spaces is a global issue. According to one survey, 84% of women in cities around the world reported being harassed on the street before the age of 17; half of respondents said they had been groped or fondled. It’s acknowledged that intimidating, violent behaviour from men needs to stop, but what can be done to improve the safety of women and g...

Being a teenage mum is not easy. But innovative projects around the world are trying to help. We hear from Sierra Leone, where the 2 Young Lives project supports teenagers who've been rejected by their families for getting pregnant. They link them up with older women who step in to look after them. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls...

A young scientist has developed a white powder which gives waste soil concrete-like properties. Gnanli Landrou grew up in Togo, helping his neighbours dry out soil to make bricks, and his big dream is to help people like them build stronger, cheaper, houses. But the European building industry is also excited about his new, low carbon building material. We talk to Gnanli about his ambitions for thi...

Robots that navigate sewer pipes are being used to find leaks and blockages in an ancient water system. They’re being put to work in Pune, India, to access dangerous and noxious spots that otherwise would be checked by people. The sewage systems are more than 100 years old and the maps have been lost or are just outdated. So the robots are being used to update the maps, which should eventually lea...

Lotteries aren’t just about winning money. They’re also being used to nudge people to change their behaviour. In the UK we try out a mobile app that enters users in to a £25,000 lottery every time they pick up a piece of litter. We see how heart patients in the US can win smaller prizes for taking their pills… and if they don’t take their medicine, are told what they could have won. And we look at...

La Casa de Carlota isn’t like most workplaces. The design studio, based in Barcelona, Spain, employs creatives who have intellectual disabilities, autism and schizophrenia. Working together with non-disabled colleagues, they produce striking graphics for campaigns and packaging, as well as original works of art. This isn’t a government-backed scheme to help out a disadvantaged group, but a winning...

Sponge cities use natural features to slow down, soak up and reuse flood water. Yu Kongjian nearly drowned as a boy when his village flooded, but it inspired him to come up with the sponge city concept. It’s now being rolled out across China. In Singapore too, parks and lakes are being engineered to soak up excess water. They embrace the flood water rather than block it with concrete barriers. It...

Meet the entrepreneurs using scrap rubber to fuel cars and make new tyres. Each year, over a billion car tyres reach the end of their life. They’re notoriously hard to recycle and present an environmental hazard if left to disintegrate out in the open. But around the world, people are trying to clean up their cities by finding new uses for the mountains of rubber waste. In Senegal, a young entrepr...

In California, butterflies such as the monarch are critically endangered as a result of habitat erosion, pesticides, and climate change. But many people are trying to save these beautiful insects. We meet the scientists who are painstakingly rearing individual butterflies by hand and then releasing them back into the wild. In California’s vineyards, we talk to a farmer who has designed a butterfly...

Fish have favourite colours and dolphins hate high pitched noises. In an effort to save rapidly dwindling global fish stocks, scientists are trying to figure out how to attract the right fish into nets, and keep protected species away. On the southern coast of England, we meet the man who’s designed a hi-frequency gadget which warns dolphins to stay out of fishing nets. In Denmark, scientists show...

Hospitals can make you sicker. It's a strange thought for places that also can make you healthier. But think about the constant noise, the distinctive hospital smell, the bright lights. There's lots of evidence that most patients find hospitals themselves very stressful. This stress can lead to slower healing times or even a higher chance of being readmitted to hospital. This week, we look at some...