Health Check

US proposes a world-first policy of using doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis to reduce STI rates. The podcast discusses the effectiveness of this approach and features a personal story of a Canadian man with syphilis. Other topics include the most effective COVID-19 disease trackers, blood analysis to understand longevity, and a global support group for grief.

A new malaria vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, is recommended by WHO. Women face inequalities in cancer care. Nobel Prize awarded for mRNA vaccine development. The efficacy of mental health first aid courses is debated.

The podcast discusses the dangerous practice of gum lancing on babies, its severe consequences, and the urgent need for awareness. It also explores the effects and usage of the COVID drug molnupiravir. The chapter discusses drug company responses and future drug design. Additionally, it explores concerns about age-related eyesight deterioration, affordable glasses, and a study on mice's nesting behavior in relation to human sleep patterns. Tips for creating a sleep-friendly environment are also provided.

Matt Fox, professor of epidemiology at Boston University, discusses the potential threats to funding for the PEPFAR program, which has saved millions of lives. Other topics include a gene variant increasing the risk of Parkinson's disease in African populations, vaccine hesitancy among pet owners, the importance of exercise during cancer treatment, and a study on turmeric as a treatment for indigestion.

Max Dickins, author of 'Billy No-Mates', joins Claudia Hammond, Robin Dunbar, and Dr. Radha Modgil to discuss the psychology of male friendships and its impact on mental health. They explore the importance of friendships, cultural differences, taking initiative, building habits, and the challenges men face in forming close relationships.

Naloxone nasal spray to counteract opioid overdoses in the US. Polar research team addressing menstrual health in expeditions. Morning after pill more effective with anti-inflammatory drugs. Study on romantic relationships explores whether opposites attract.

In March 2015, Brazil reported a large outbreak of the Zika virus infection. Over the next year, the disease became a global medical emergency. Thousands of babies were born brain-damaged, after their mothers became infected while pregnant.As the World Health Organisation discusses the current global Zika situation and the lessons learned from the outbreak, Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Graham Easton to hear from the families affected in Brazil and ask what life is now like for the babies who were born with complications.We also hear about new recommendations for how communities around the world can better prevent Sudden Cardiac Death, as well as research on whether how far away you are from a defibrillator is related to how deprived your area is.Claudia speaks to a psychiatric nurse and the woman who says she saved her life by going above and beyond the call of duty.And we hear about the world first from Australia, where scientists discovered a living worm in the brain of a woman who’d been experiencing stomach pain and night sweats.Image Credit: Joao Paulo BuriniPresenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh

Disgraced former transplant surgeon Paolo Macchiarini appeals against a prison sentence for gross assault. Health Check also discusses the impact of eating speed on health and the first functional kidney transplant from a pig into a human.

Contaminated cough syrup found in Iraq; Impact of anti-LGBTQ legislation on HIV healthcare in Uganda; Brain signal decoding technology; Insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention; Nose picking and COVID-19 correlation

In the week that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that leprosy could now be endemic in the South-eastern United States, Claudia Hammond looks at global action on leprosy with science journalist Kamala Thiagarajan. There is an international effort to learn more about weaning seriously ill people off ventilator support in hospitals. We hear about the Weansafe study from Ireland.Professor of integrated community child health at University College London, Monica Lakhanpaul joins Claudia in the studio to discuss why the roll out of a new vaccine for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) in the US could be a gamechanger. And why on your next trip to a hospital, you could see groups of elderly in-patients going on walks. Could it help prevent the effects of bedrest?Image: Leprosy, nerve biopsy, nerve fibres surrounded by histiocytesPresenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Clare Salisbury