South African coming-of-age initiations

For some communities in South Africa coming-of-age initiations are a hugely significant moment, but there have been rising concerns over the safety of the circumcisions at the heart of this ritual. Forty-eight young men died last year and the government are now introducing measures to tackle the issue. BBC’s southern Africa correspondent Pumza Fihlani reports on the latest. Research suggests our hair does not grow by pushing up and out but by being pulled by a coordinated network of moving cells. Our studio guest Graham Easton, professor of clinical communication skills and former family doctor discusses the significance. What is the best way to encourage more people to give blood? New research from China evaluates system where donors were offered incentives such as free access to public bus services. Professor of Health Psychology Eamonn Ferguson puts this in the context of different approaches used worldwide. And should doctors use emojis in communications with patients? A new paper analyses how many are used and which ones by clinicians and patients in Michigan, USA. We discuss the pros and cons of their use. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant producer: Jonathan Blackwell Researcher: Anna Charalambou

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South African coming-of-age initiations is an episode from Health Check by BBC.

This episode is 26:29 long.

This episode was published on Jan 28, 2026.

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