Health Check

This week, Claudia is joined in the studio by Clare Wilson, Science writer at The i Paper.

After a 28-young woman who was studying infectious diseases in a lab in Siberia has died from pneumonia, Health Check takes an in-depth look at the plague, examines what we know about what has happened and asks how worried we should be about this news.

A new series of papers from the journal, The Lancet, argue that the scale of young people&rsq...

Men and women are frequently treated differently by healthcare systems according to a review of global research published in the journal, PLOS One. Women with the same medical conditions as men are less likely to be offered the medical treatments offered to men such as surgery, statins, or strong painkillers. They are also less likely to be offered treatment for conditions like cardiovascular conditions, kidney disease and Parkinso...

Health Check discusses the role of AI in healthcare after the announcement that the Gates Foundation will put hundreds of millions of US dollars towards AI access in low-income communities, with an emphasis on integration in healthcare. Claudia Hammond is joined by Graham Easton, Professor of Clinical Communication Skills at Queen Mary University of London, to ask how AI is already changing the ways in which doctors work.

Health Che...

The Spanish Football Association has announced a new programme that will make fertility treatments such as IVF and egg freezing available to female players and referees, but what difference will it make and how does this move compare to support offered for professional sportswomen globally? Margie Davenport, Professor in Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation at the University of Alberta and retired Team Canada synchronized swimmer expl...

There is still a lot unknown about why period pain can be so intense for some and not others. To find out more, Claudia Hammond speaks with Dr Melissa Lenert, research scientist at the University of Michigan in the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Centre. Her new research examines what early risk factors are associated with the intensity and onset of period pain in adolescents.

Claudia is then joined by Rebecca Katz, Professor an...

Usually when we think about vaccines, we imagine preventing viruses, but could mRNA vaccine technology also be used to reduce skin cancer recurrence? Claudia Hammond discusses the latest trials of this technology with Dr Matthew Fox, professor of epidemiology and global health at Boston University.

Then, reporter Rogelio Navarro brings us to Mexico City, where researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico are developin...

Everyone experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time. But how does it feel to be trapped in a constant cycle of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours? This is the reality of life for many people with obsessive compulsive disorder, a common - but commonly misunderstood - mental health condition.

Today's episode is dedicated to understanding OCD and how it’s treated. Claudia Hammond visits an inpatient OCD treatment ...

With recent heat waves in many regions of the world, including parts of Asia, Europe and North America, Claudia Hammond speaks to Eran Bendavid, Professor of Medicine and Health Policy at Stanford University, about his global study which suggests that older people face dangers from heat exposure at much lower temperatures than previously thought.

Claudia is joined by genito-urinary consultant and HIV expert, Vanessa Apea to discuss...

Three months since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 1,900 people have died from the virus, with more than 4200 confirmed cases, making this the second-worst Ebola outbreak ever. Claudia Hammond speaks to Ebola specialist Bronwyn Nichol, Senior Officer of Public Health and Emergencies for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), to find out what ch...

Some people are injecting a fraction of the standard dose of weight loss drugs and hoping to still receive the benefits, but many are doing so without any medical oversight and there could be risks. Makers of the drugs say they don't condone people modifying how they use their products. Health journalist Katie Silver speaks to Claudia Hammond about why some people are choosing to microdose these weight loss drugs.

With wildfires sp...

Road accidents are a leading cause of death and injury around the world, and in 2020, the UN General Assembly set a target to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC Health reporter Philippa Roxby to look at new research which explores how road injury trends have changed globally over the past three decades, and discuss what these trends mean for public health and safety.

India is facing shortages of impo...

Last week, the US Defence Secretary announced a new policy that will require US military personnel to undergo annual screening for testosterone deficiency, however some health experts have expressed concerns that this program could have negative effects. Claudia Hammond speaks with Gary Wittert, professor of medicine at Adelaide University and consultant endocrinologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, to understand more about testo...

Organisations providing HIV services to gay men have had to close in Niger after a ban on same sex acts. Gay men there fear coming forward to be tested or treated and have lost access to condoms and medication protecting against HIV. Claudia Hammond and health journalist Camilla Mota discuss what this might mean for HIV rates in the country.

We also hear about a US study looking at whether cancer screening rates differ across sexual...

On June 24th, twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, and in the weeks since the healthcare system has been overwhelmed with need. Claudia Hammond speaks with International Red Cross representative Paolo Cravero to learn more about the latest health updates on the ground in Caracas, and what is being done to fill the growing gaps in care.

Claudia is joined by Graham Easton, Professor of Clinical Communication Skills at Queen Mary University...

Two Ebola drugs are due to be trialled in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as cases of the disease continue to rise in the country.

BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher joins Claudia Hammond to discuss the new clinical trial, and to update on the latest from the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.

Claudia also visits The Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition in London to explore a range of new heal...

Many people with infertility use in vitro fertilisation (IVF), however the probability of having a baby following IVF is only approximately 30-40% per cycle and decreases significantly with age. It can be a lengthy and expensive process. Providers sometimes offer ‘add-ons’, additional treatments that they claim could help patients conceive, which are themselves also usually expensive. In Australia, New Zealand and the U...

The WHO has conducted their first global assessment of food contamination in over a decade and found that more than 1.5 million people are killed by food poisoning every year. Dr Ann Robinson joins Claudia Hammond to discuss the common causes of foodborne illness.

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis which can cause sudden and severe joint pain. Claudia is joined by Professor Nicola Dalbeth an academic rheumatologist at the Univ...

How does reading shape our mind and spirit? Why do novels make us feel more human? In front of a live audience at the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts in Wales in the UK, Claudia Hammond looks at the science of what reading does to the mind and explores the profound impact it can have on our lives and well-being.

She is joined on stage by award-winning novelist and travel writer Joanna Kavenna; Dr Paula Byrne, Jane Austen biogr...

From heat exhaustion to dengue fever - monitoring public health risks at the biggest tournament in football history.

With millions of fans travelling to the USA, Canada and Mexico for the men’s football World Cup, Claudia Hammond speaks to Professor Rebecca Katz from Georgetown University in Washington DC who is the Director of the newly set up Health Security Operations Center, a surveillance hub to track threats to health, ...