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Health Check

BBC

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

Episodes

20 of 320 episodes

Do men and women receive different medical treatment?

Men and women are frequently treated differently by healthcare systems according to a review of global research published in the journal, PL...

26:29Sep 30, 2026

Could AI improve healthcare in low-income communities?

Health Check discusses the role of AI in healthcare after the announcement that the Gates Foundation will put hundreds of millions of US dol...

26:30Sep 23, 2026

Expanding reproductive choice in women's sports

The Spanish Football Association has announced a new programme that will make fertility treatments such as IVF and egg freezing available to...

26:29Sep 16, 2026

Addressing the risks of period pain in childhood

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...

26:29Sep 9, 2026

Vaccinating against skin cancer

Usually when we think about vaccines, we imagine preventing viruses, but could mRNA vaccine technology also be used to reduce skin cancer re...

27:35Sep 2, 2026

Understanding OCD

Everyone experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time. But how does it feel to be trapped in a constant cycle of intrusive thoughts and r...

26:30Aug 26, 2026

The health threat of rising temperatures

With recent heat waves in many regions of the world, including parts of Asia, Europe and North America, Claudia Hammond speaks to Eran Benda...

26:29Aug 19, 2026

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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,...

26:29Aug 12, 2026

Why are some people microdosing weight loss drugs?

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...

27:07Aug 5, 2026

Steering in the right direction to road safety

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 de...

26:29Jul 29, 2026

USA military launches testosterone screening programme

Last week, the US Defence Secretary announced a new policy that will require US military personnel to undergo annual screening for testoster...

26:30Jul 22, 2026

HIV fears due to Niger’s anti-gay laws

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 t...

26:29Jul 15, 2026

Health challenges after Venezuela earthquakes

On June 24th, twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, and in the weeks since the healthcare system has been overwhelmed with need. Claudia Hammond s...

26:29Jul 8, 2026

Ebola drug trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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. BB...

26:27Jul 1, 2026

Lack of evidence most IVF ‘add-ons’ improve fertility

Many people with infertility use in vitro fertilisation (IVF), however the probability of having a baby following IVF is only approximately...

26:29Jun 24, 2026

The global toll of food poisoning

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 k...

26:28Jun 17, 2026

How reading fiction impacts our mental health

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 Litera...

26:29Jun 10, 2026

Health at the football World Cup

From heat exhaustion to dengue fever - monitoring public health risks at the biggest tournament in football history. With millions of fans t...

26:29Jun 3, 2026

Seafarer welfare in the Strait of Hormuz

Three months into the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, we find out about the 20,000 sailors trapped on board with dwindling resources and m...

26:26May 27, 2026

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

An Ebola outbreak that started in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading in the region and has been declared...

26:29May 20, 2026