The Lancet Voice

On The Lancet Voice, host Niall Boyce and co-host Miriam Sabin are joined by Taissa Villa, editor-in-chief of The Lancet Regional Health Americas, and Professor Marcia de Castro — Andelot Professor of Demography and chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University — to assess the state of health across Latin America. 2024 was dengue's worst year on record. Oropouche vi...

Retracted articles hit a high of 10,000 in 2023, representing an increase of almost ten times in ten years. The introduction of AI brings incredible benefits to science, but could also add to the seemingly endless tide of papers that are fraudulent, misleading, or just plain wrong. What can journals such as The Lancet do to rise to this challenge, keeping the scientific record accurate, honest, an...

The UK Government has just announced a ban on social media for under 16-year-olds. Why? Why now? And will it actually improve young people's health and wellbeing? Lancet Editor Niall Boyce is joined by Esther Lau, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, to discuss the key issues and likely consequences.   The Lancet Voice is part of the Lancet Group podcast offering.  Editorial...

Bioethics are a matter of practical, everyday concern for physicians, and other health care providers, especially as medical science continues to advance, opening up new therapeutic possibilities. In this episode of The Lancet Voice, the bioethicist and oncologist, Ezekiel Emanuel, talks about applying bioethics to some of today's most pressing health problems, globally.   Click here to read the f...

Manchuria, 1910. An outbreak of a mysterious illness has claimed tens of thousands of lives. But one doctor has a plan to stop it. Niall and Miriam are joined by Dr Yvonne Ho to discuss the life and legacy of Dr Wu Lien-Teh, and the continuing importance of his story in today's world. The Lancet Voice is part of the Lancet Group podcast offering.  Editorial team: Niall Boyce, Miriam Sabin, Jessamy...

While cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, almost half of the states of the US have now legalised it for recreational use. But what effect has this had on health, and how are researchers monitoring the situation? Niall Boyce and Mariam Sabin from the Lancet chat with Professor Deborah Hasin, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Columbia University. The Lancet Voice is part of the Lancet...

Gavin is joined once again by Richard and Jessamy for a chat about the latest in global health news and the world of Lancet publications, this month covering The Lancet's new Commission, A Citizen-Centred Health System for India, and a new paper in The Lancet Global Health on the effect of global development assistance funding cuts. Click here to access the full content: https://www.thelancet.com/...

Those working in clinical trials will recall that in 2025 updates were published for the SPIRIT standard clinical trial protocol items and the CONSORT guideline for reporting randomised clinical trials. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health will be co-publishing the first child and adolescent extensions to the SPIRIT and CONSORT reporting guidelines, along with the BMJ and JAMA Paediatrics. In...

In this episode Jessamy talks to Iris Blom, a medical doctor and researcher with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and co-chair on The Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare. Iris details her role at the recent COP30 in the Brazil Amazon, translating research for negotiators and advancing evaluation frameworks for sustainable healthcare, tells her takeaways from the confere...

Jessamy is joined by Chloe to co-host as they meet with Dr Mumtaz Patel President of RCP and Consultant nephrologist. Dr. Patel discusses ongoing challenges for Resident Doctors and reflects on the changes that are needed to improve the current training pathways in the UK. Send us your feedback! Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancet Send...

Gavin is joined by Dr. Seth Berkley, former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to discuss his new book, Fair Doses. Dr. Berkley reflects on the global impact of vaccines, the ongoing challenges to vaccine equity, and the lessons learned from leading initiatives such as COVAX during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also discuss the economics of vaccine distribution, the threat of misinformation, the promi...

Gavin is joined once again by Richard and Jessamy as they examine key developments in global health and science. This week's discussion features reflections on the launch of a new Lancet series on Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting advances in prevention, diagnosis, and care, as well as the ethical and practical challenges posed by emerging treatments. We also explore the global landscape of liver...

Gavin welcomes Walter Willett, Shakuntala Thilsted and Johan Rockström to discuss the second EAT-Lancet Commission report. The co-chairs explain the significant updates since the inaugural 2019 commission, including new global evidence on nutrition, advances in food systems modelling, and a greater focus on equity and justice.  The panel addresses the health and environmental impacts of dietary ch...

Scientific research has traditionally treated the male body as the default, resulting in health inequity and poor outcomes for women in a world not designed for them. The Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines are an attempt to make sure research is designed for everyone, and that the outcomes better serve everyone. Editor-in-chief of The Lancet Haematology Lan-Lan Smith and editor-i...

Gavin, Richard, and Jessamy enter the studio once more for a Lancet Voice chat. A new book on Alzheimer's disease causes controversy across the Lancet team, we discuss the new Countdown on Plastics & Health, and a quick look at the problems facing the upcoming UN High Level Meeting on NCDs. You can read the Lancet Countdown on health and plastics here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet...

Where did the 10,000 steps recommendation come from? Why has it proven so stubborn? What's the science behind the new recommendations? How strong is the evidence? Professor Melody Ding joins Gavin to talk about her new systematic review published in The Lancet Public Health, examining the relationship between step counts and health outcomes. We also explore the challenges of measuring physical act...

It’s no exaggeration to say that the past decade has revolutionized how we think about and treat obesity. Drugs like semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) have dominated headlines, enabling significant weight loss at speeds once considered unthinkable. The market for innovative weight loss medications is booming, with pharmaceutical companies investing heavily in hopes of developing the...

The sustainability of our existence relies on the health of every human, every animal, and the environment we all share. Published today, "The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems" highlights challenges like climate change, food security, and antimicrobial resistance to lay out the One Health approach to inf...

Professor Adam Kucharski joins Gavin & Jessamy to discuss the intersection of mathematics, epidemiology, and truth, off the back of his new book, Proof. How do we generate scientific knowledge? How can we communicate uncertainty? What is the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on public trust in science? Adam also tells us about the importance of public engagement, the nuances o...

How safe is it to use period tracking and digital contraception apps? Who is your data being shared with? What regulation actually exists in this area to protect app users? Femtech offers women digital tools for tracking reproductive health. Gavin and Jessamy are joined by Dr. Catriona McMillan, Senior Research Fellow in Medical Law and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh, to talk about how accu...

Richard, Jessamy, and Gavin reflect on developments at the 78th World Health Assembly, including the passage of the pandemic agreement and shifting dynamics in global health leadership. What's next for WHO without US engagement? How has WHA changed over the years? We also address the importance of recommitting to adolescent health following our new Commission, and discuss a controversial recent st...

Gavin, Richard, and Jessamy return to the studio to discuss some publications that caught their eye this month, and in doing so set themselves the lofty goal of examining how meaning, purpose, optimism, and social context shape our understanding of health beyond traditional clinical measures. We also ponder the future of research and higher education in the face of funding challenges in both the U...

Gavin and Jessamy welcome Dr. Hugh Alderwick from the Health Foundation to The Lancet Voice as we explore the impact of the Labour government's health policies since coming to power in the UK. What might the anticipated 10-year plan for the NHS look like? What are the implications of dismantling NHS England? Will any government get a handle on social care? Hugh also provides expert analysis on the...

Gavin and Jessamy welcome back Oksana Pyzik of UCL to talk about the significant impacts of Trump's actions on health infrastructure in Ukraine and broader Europe. Oksana provides a comprehensive update on the current health situation in Ukraine, the challenges faced by healthcare systems amidst ongoing conflict, and the repercussions of halted aid on crucial programs like HIV and TB.  We also exp...

Gavin, Richard, and Jessamy reunite for another bonus episode, covering the first three months or so of health in the US under Trump. What do the appointments tell us about the administration's agenda? How can institutions stand up to cuts and intimidation?  We also look at gender justice in global health as laid out by the excellent new Commission in The Lancet, and highlight that the world's imp...