Health Check

What will President Trump’s order stopping work on foreign aid projects mean for global health? Also on the program, a new method for repairing heart muscles using stem cells shows promise, and do weight-loss drugs also stop the ‘food noise’ so many people hear? GP and medical journalist Graham Easton joins Claudia in studio to discuss. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins A...

As President Trump signals his intention to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization, what could the global health ramifications be? Also, Meta moves from an independent fact-checking program to community notes - how will this affect health misinformation across the company’s platforms? A new rapid test that could help diagnose Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic fever brings hope to a...

With extensive wildfires in Los Angeles, we look at the longer-term health impacts of wildfires and why there is still a risk to health after a fire is extinguished. A global commission has called for an overhaul of how obesity is diagnosed, suggesting more measures for practitioners to help distinguish between different types of obesity and improve individualized care for each patient. In Guatema...

With reports of rising cases of the respiratory illness HMPV in multiple countries and concern over the risk it poses, we look behind the headlines to reality check what is really going on. Also on the show, we hear from injured Ukrainians who are building drones to help with their mental and physical rehabilitation. Plus, how does elite sport impact women’s fertility? Finally, we look ahead to pr...

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi exploring the concept of One Health, where the health of humans, animals and the environment are all linked. Today we’re visiting a makeshift roadside operating theatre for dogs in the village of Kauma, just outside of Lilongwe. During the ‘Spay Day’, vets from the Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals neuter local dogs for free, in an attempt to prot...

Claudia Hammond is in Malawi exploring a movement known as “One Health”: an approach that calls for collaboration between the fields of human, animal, and environmental health, for the benefit of all. And how can this help to prevent disease when people and animals live in close proximity? We hear how vets and researchers across Malawi are tackling diseases such as rabies, anthrax, and sleeping si...

Claudia Hammond is joined by journalist Andrew Green to check-in on their 2024 health predictions and review just how accurate they were. Together, they explore the stories that we didn’t see coming and the game-changing medical innovations that shaped global health this year. Plus, the unusual Ig Nobel medicine prize, and a healthy dose of competition in the form of the ultimate health fact-off.

Researchers have trailed a revolutionary malaria vaccine that uses the entire malaria parasite and is delivered via the bite of a mosquito, offering a novel way to boost immunity. The next step involves developing an injectable version for broader use. Also on the program: a mystery illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kwango Province; doctors in Brazil raise concerns over dengue spreadin...

A new study in Nature has looked at genetic underpinnings that could lead to earlier presentations of Type 2 diabetes in South Asian populations. Also on the program, we look at an exciting new development in asthma treatment, and how we can detect Alzheimer's soon. Plus, slap fighting – the sport is growing in popularity, but could it have negative health consequences for participants. Presenter:...

As the war in Sudan leads to multiple health crises in the country, we look at what can be done to improve the situation. Also on the show, is climate change helping disease-carrying ticks to spread beyond their usual range by an unusual method – migrating birds? And hot chocolate: it’s delicious, but in certain circumstances, could it also help to improve your vascular health? Claudia Hammond is...

Some Ugandan children with complicated malaria have shown partial resistance to leading anti-malarial drug artemisinin. What challenge does this pose to treatment efficacy and raising concerns about the potential spread of drug-resistant strains. We speak with Dr. Audrey Blewer, an epidemiologist and assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Duke University, about how 911 dispatchers provid...

As Trump is elected to a second term in office, what will his policies mean for U.S. and global health funding, vaccine distribution and international health strategies? Also on the program, have you ever wondered what health issues we should worry about if humans settle in space? Claudia speaks with the Wienersmiths, a husband-and-wife team who authored a book exploring the possibility of space c...

A new global report has found that tuberculosis is once again the leading infectious disease causing mortality around the globe, as covid cases recede. We find out what can be done to tackle the issue, and what lessons have been learned in the fight against this pernicious, but largely curable, illness. Also on the show, are we seeing the first cases of locally transmitted Mpox outside of the Afri...

The telehealth industry is booming, but a new investigation reveals a hidden network of medical groups fuelling the rise of online prescriptions for weight-loss drugs. Are patients being put at risk in this rush for GLP-1 medications? Also on the show, we get an update on how a decade of research into digital avatar therapy is helping patients with psychosis challenge the voices they hear. Plus, h...

A new study from America looks at the safety of organ transplants between people with HIV. Its promising results raise the potential for expanding access to life-saving treatments. This week's show also examines a surprising resurgence of scurvy, a disease often associated with historical poverty. Is the current cost of living crisis contributing to nutritional deficiencies? Plus, an update from t...

Can rapid diagnostic tests make a difference in the fight against malaria? A new study tries to quantify the real-world difference these tests are making. Also on the show, what can we learn from a single documented case of a medical anomaly: like the recent study of a break dancer presenting with a thickened skull. And Claudia learns to surf – all in the name of health. Presenter: Claudia Hammond...

The discovery of Micro RNA has won the Nobel Prize for medicine. We learn more about what micro RNA is, how it contributes to gene regulation, and what that means for our health. Also on the programme, there has been an outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda, and the pharmaceutical company Gilead is making a revolutionary HIV medication available to countries that need it most. But does this good new...

As mpox continues to spread to new places, we find out how the vaccine rollout is going and what more needs to be done to help both contain and better understand the virus. Also on the show; why the first medication approved to treat schizophrenia in decades has the world of psychiatry excited, and how finding out what doesn’t work in health care can be just as useful as knowing what does. Plus, c...

As vector-borne diseases begin to spread more widely around the world, we look at why, what the effects are, and what can be done. Also on the program, a new study has examined the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, what did they find, and how is this different from previous papers? And can space flight age you? A new study tries to find out. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawk...

The Taliban has denied reports that they are halting polio vaccines in Afghanistan – so what is going on? We take a look at what is happening in the country, and how it could effect polio eradication efforts worldwide. Also on the show, an important U.S. pathogen database loses funding, and why placebos that cause you pain may be more effective. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-...

As Haiti expands its state of emergency to cover the entire country, we take a look at the deterioration of the country’s healthcare system. Also on the show, how does long covid affect children, is a global twin book just down to IVF, and we hear from you about objects associated with grief that have sentimental importance. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

Mpox vaccines are finally arriving on the African continent, but are they getting to the places that need them most? We look at what the situation is, and why it can take so long for vaccines to get where they are needed. Also on the show, can you catch up on missed weekday sleep on the weekends, and the test that shows promise for new snakebite treatments.

In 2017, Adam Tjolle accidentally discovered he had a brain tumour. At the time, presenter and close friend Claudia Hammond followed him on his journey before, during and after undergoing life-changing surgery. Meeting up now in Malawi, Adam and Claudia listen back to the old recordings and reflect on what has changed for Adam since his operation. Adam still lives in Scotland, but his new life aft...

The World Health Organisation has officially declared the spread of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern. Health Check has been following the spread of the disease across the Democratic Republic of Congo and now internationally in recent weeks, and Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health journalist Philippa Roxby to discuss the latest developments. Claudia and Philippa also l...

More than four years after the start of the Covid pandemic, the virus is showing no signs of fading away. This week, the World Health Organisation warned, in fact, that coronavirus is making a comeback, with 84 countries reporting an increase in positive test rates. For an in-depth look at how the world is coping with the disease, Claudia Hammond speaks to immunologist Professor Danny Altmann from...