Best Delhi In Pandemic Podcasts (2026)

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How can we eliminate malaria? 26:30

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16m ago26:30

26:30

In the past decade there has been little progress in lowering malaria cases, with over half a million people still dying from the mosquito-borne disease every year. We look at the big ideas and innovations of the future that could help us eliminate malaria once and for all. What would happen if we got rid of the insect responsible for spreading the…

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2025: A big year for tackling malaria 26:29

8d ago26:29

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Malaria is still the third biggest killer on the planet and despite decades of serious investment it’s a disease that is still very much with us. But that investment is starting to pay off - 2025 has been a big year for new ways of tackling the disease. This week we’re reflecting on the progress made in 2025 – but also asking what impact unpreceden…

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Behind the Huntington’s disease breakthrough 26:31

8d ago26:31

26:31

James Gallagher joins Claudia Hammond to share his pick for health breakthrough of 2025 – the world's first gene therapy to treat Huntington’s disease. Popular science author Mary Roach joins Claudia to discuss the future of prosthetics. Also on the show, James shares his latest reporting on how sperm from a donor with a cancer-causing gene was use…

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Shingles vaccine slows the progression of dementia 26:28

15d ago26:28

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We already knew that the shingles vaccine reduces the risk of developing dementia, but new research has shown that it also slows the progression of the disease. BBC journalist Laura Foster discusses why this might be happening. Can a negative mindset reduce the effectiveness of medical treatments? Claudia speaks with Dr Katharina Schmidt in Essen, …

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The risky use of skin lightening in children 26:29

22d ago26:29

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New research shows that 20% of children under five years old in Nigeria have been exposed to skin lightening products, even by parents who know the risks associated with the products. Claudia speaks to Aisha, a mother, to understand why skin lightening can seem appealing, and to dermatologist Atinuke Ajani from Ile-Ife, Nigeria, who explains the gr…

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Childhood hypertension becomes more common 26:29

29d ago26:29

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A recent meta-analysis finds that childhood hypertension rates (commonly known as high blood pressure) are increasing significantly around the world. Professor of cardiovascular medicine and population health at the University of Oxford, Kazem Rahimi, explains what is driving this trend. Recent changes in hormone therapy labels in the US come after…

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The disappearing mid-life crisis 26:30

1M ago26:30

26:30

Global health journalist Andrew Green has been looking at the impact of US funding cuts on the global HIV response, and reports his findings from Botswana about the impact is it having on HIV and AIDS services there, and what new agreements may be reached on healthcare funding. New research shows that the trend in human happiness is changing, with …

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Canada loses measles elimination status 26:29

2M ago26:29

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This week it was declared that Canada is no longer measles free and as a result The Americas have lost their measles elimination status. Claudia is joined by Vanessa Apea to understand why this vaccine-preventable disease is continuing to spread in North America. COP30 is underway in Belém, Brazil, and ahead of the conference’s Health Day we hear f…

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Cloud seeding to cut air pollution in Delhi 26:27

2M ago26:27

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Last week attempts at cloud seeding to reduce pollution in Delhi failed to produce any rain. We catch up with reporter Chhavi Sachdev to find out more about official’s latest and controversial attempt at tacking hazardous levels of air pollution in the city. The Maldives have become the first country to ban smoking for younger generations with no o…

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What surpassing 1.5°C means for global health 26:28

2M ago26:28

26:28

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that global warming will ‘inevitably’ surpass 1.5 degrees. What does this mean for global health? The ninth annual Lancet report on health and climate could hold some answers. Also on the program, could contaminated meat be a source for some urinary tract infections? Professor Lance Price speaks abou…

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How impostors distort medical research 26:28

2M ago26:28

26:28

As Japan declares a flu epidemic we find out more about what’s going on in the country, and the potential implications for the flu season ahead in the Northern Hemisphere. Human and bot imposters are rising in medical research, and they risk undermining results, but why do they do it? Eileen Morrow from the University of Oxford explains the tricky …

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How to prioritise aid in Gaza 26:27

3M ago26:27

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As the fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza, we hear about the health impacts and realities of the aid being let into the territory from Olga Cherevko – spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Gaza. The first ever evidence-based and outcome-specific dietary guidelines to treat chronic constipation in adul…

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Immune system researchers win Nobel Prize 26:30

3M ago26:30

26:30

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for discoveries that explain how the immune system attacks hostile infections, but not the body's own cells. We explain the science that won Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi and US researchers Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell the prestigious award. How robots can help children with reading an…

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Creating human eggs from skin cells 26:29

3M ago26:29

26:29

Functional human eggs have been generated using human skin cells in a breakthrough study. What impact could this have on couples with fertility issues? BBC Health Correspondent James Gallagher explains. How long covid is affecting menstrual cycles. Dr Jackie Maybin, Reader and Consultant Gynaecologist at the Centre for Reproductive Health at the Un…

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Trump’s unproven claims on autism and paracetamol 26:29

3M ago26:29

26:29

President Trump has claimed that consuming Tylenol, or paracetamol, whilst pregnant can increase the risk of autism in children; Claudia is joined by Professor of Clinical Epidemiology Laurie Tomlinson to fact-check this unproven statement. Also on the show, BBC’s Philippa Roxby joins Claudia to share a breakthrough in treating Huntington’s disease…

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More children are obese than underweight 26:31

4M ago26:31

26:31

In a ‘historical turning point’ there are now more overweight than underweight children and teenagers worldwide according to a new report from UNICEF. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC’s Laura Foster to understand what changes to our food environments may be driving this shift. An international row has erupted over durian fruit, with China limiting …

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The psychology of curiosity 26:28

4M ago26:28

26:28

Is curiosity good for us, or should we learn a lesson from what curiosity did to the cat? And why does curiosity drive some people to explore the ends of the earth and beyond, while others just really aren’t very curious at all? We invite a panel of people for whom curiosity is also at the centre of what they do to discuss the psychology of curiosi…

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Have we found a better alternative to aspirin? 26:28

4M ago26:28

26:28

Millions of us take aspirin daily to ward off heart attack or stroke, but a new study has found an alternative blood thinner, clopidogrel, could be more effective. We find out how it compares. An oral health check-up at least two weeks before surgery has shown to reduce the risk of post-operative infections such as pneumonia as well as reduce the l…

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A breakthrough in treating chronic pain 26:30

4M ago26:30

26:30

One in five of us suffer with chronic pain globally and the exact cause of it is often unknown making it very hard to treat. However, in what has been hailed as a remarkable breakthrough, a gene has been identified that is critical for regulating pain signals. Professor David Bennett, head of Clinical Neurology at Oxford, who led the research expla…

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HMF BD Podcast: Re-imagining breast care: Cost-effective innovations for Canadian healthcare 21:42

4M ago21:42

21:42

Listen to the sponsored podcast featuring Cassandra Gardner, PhD, Associate Director of Medical Affairs at BD-Canada, and Marcy Saxe-Braithwaite, DBA, Associate Vice President of Executive Search Services at The Medfall Group, as they discuss the clinical efficacy of vacuum-assisted biopsies and vacuum-assisted excision technologies in the diagnosi…

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Using AI to discover new antibiotics 26:28

5M ago26:28

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AI models have helped to discover new potential antibiotics to treat drug resistant infections of gonorrhoea and MRSA. We speak to Professor Jim Collins from MIT to understand what’s next for his machine-generated medicines and the role AI could play in the future of drug discovery. A new report has found high rates of bloodstream infections and an…

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How plastic harms health 26:29

5M ago26:29

26:29

As negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty are due to conclude at the United Nations, we check in on whether health is on the agenda with Dr Cressida Bowyer, Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability from the University of Portsmouth in the UK who is at the conference. We also hear from John Chweya, a Kenyan waste picker, who has seen the im…

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Malnutrition in Gaza 26:30

5M ago26:30

26:30

UN-backed experts – the IPC - say the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" in Gaza and that there is mounting evidence that widespread malnutrition is driving a rapid rise in hunger-related deaths among the 2.1 million Palestinians there. Aid worker Olga Cherevko shares what she’s witnessed on the ground and Claudia is also join…

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Making human blood deadly to mosquitoes 26:30

5M ago26:30

26:30

Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by making the blood of treated persons deadly to the mosquitoes that carry the disease. Journalist Layal Liverpool explores the impact this new approach could have. Six months on from President Trump’s dramatic cuts to US foreign aid, the HIV/AIDS relief fund PEPFAR hangs i…

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Do you really have a penicillin allergy? 26:30

5M ago26:30

26:30

Penicillin is the go-to antibiotic for many common infections - but in the UK more than 1-in-15 adults have a penicillin allergy label on their medical record. New research suggests that many with these labels are not actually allergic. Professor Sue Pavitt explains how more accurate allergy labelling might help fight the rise of antimicrobial resi…

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HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir recommended by WHO 26:30

6M ago26:30

26:30

Lenacapavir has been incredibly promising in trials and now the World Health Organisation have officially recommended the drug for HIV prevention. Smitha Mundasad explains the difference this bi-annual injection could make in the fight against HIV. We hear how Malawi is trying to stop mpox from entering its borders. Reporter Carrim Mpaweni investig…

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First malaria treatment approved for newborns 26:31

6M ago26:31

26:31

Until now there has been no approved treatment for malaria in newborns and infants weighing less than 4.5kg. We hear from families and clinicians firsthand what this new formulation, due to be approved across eight African countries, means for them. We are joined by Professor Damian Bailey as we become pickle juice detectives to find out why it is …

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Can bacteria-eating viruses be used to fight superbugs? 26:28

6M ago26:28

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Phages are viruses that only infect bacteria. How might they help us tackle antimicrobial resistance? Franklin Nobrega and Esme Brinsden from the University of Southampton explain how their citizen science project that collects samples from around the globe is building a library of these bacteria-fighting viruses. How can ultrasound find new target…

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Childhood vaccination coverage stalls worldwide 26:28

6M ago26:28

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There has been immense progress on childhood vaccination since 1974, with over four billion children vaccinated worldwide. So why now are we seeing vaccination rates stall, and decline? We look at what is driving this stagnation that is putting millions of children at risk. The psychological impacts of war can persist for long after the events them…

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Future thinking 26:29

7M ago26:29

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Thinking about the future comes so naturally to most people that we do not realise what a complicated and essential skill it is. Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look into our ability to mentally travel to the future. Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains how our abilit…

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Mpox surging in Sierra Leone 26:29

7M ago26:29

26:29

As mpox cases rise in Sierra Leone, we check-in with Professor Trudie Lang to understand the implications of the continuing spread of the disease and what progress is being made in responding to the outbreak. In a breakthrough for HIV research, scientists have used mRNA to reveal the virus hiding in white blood cells. For now, it is only in a labor…

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Exercise and immunotherapy improving cancer outcomes 26:28

7M ago26:28

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A new immunotherapy regime has shown significant improvements in treatment for head and neck cancer. Meanwhile, exercise is boosting outcomes for colon cancer patients. BBC journalist Philippa Roxby explains what’s been shown in these studies. Aflatoxins are a toxin produced by a fungi which can be found in crops. They’re having a severe impact on …

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A new way to screen for cancer in dense breasts 26:28

7M ago26:28

26:28

Women with dense breasts are four times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with low breast density and it’s also harder for cancer to be detected with existing screening methods. But now, the findings in a new study could dramatically improve the chances of having the disease spotted early on. We speak to the study’s lead author is Pro…

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A promising new antimalarial 26:28

8M ago26:28

26:28

A new anti-malarial compound has been designed to target disease-causing parasites responsible for up to 90% of malaria cases in humans. Stephanie Tam reports on a new online training programme designed to help address the mental health care gap in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that is heavily impacted by conflict. Donald Trump has signed a new exec…

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Listening to your body's signals 26:28

8M ago26:28

26:28

Claudia is joined by Caroline Williams to learn about the cutting-edge science of interoception – that’s how the brain interprets signals that come from inside our body. We find out how honing this skill can sometimes be helpful and why at other times it can have a negative impact on us. Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases…

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Shingles vaccine lowers risk of heart disease 26:29

8M ago26:29

26:29

Receiving a specific type of shingles vaccine may provide a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events like stroke or heart failure for up to 8 years. With reports of other shingles vaccines protecting against the risk of dementia, scientists are trying to understand the mechanism underlying these unintended benefits. The WHO aim to eliminate the negl…

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Mycetoma’s only research centre destroyed 26:27

8M ago26:27

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Amidst conflict in Sudan, the world-leading Mycetoma Research Centre in Khartoum has been destroyed. We talk to the centre’s founder to find out what this means for research into the neglected disease and the struggle to proving ongoing support for patients. As the Pan American Health Organization put into action lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic …

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WHO agrees to a pandemic treaty 26:28

9M ago26:28

26:28

After 3 years of discussions, 194 member countries of the World Health Organisation have agreed to the text of a pandemic treaty designed to make the world safer from a future pandemic – but what could it mean in practice and how are countries held to account? Also on the show, how treating high blood pressure can reduce the risk of dementia. Resea…

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HMF Intuitive Surgical Podcast: The far-reaching impact of robotic-assisted surgery on healthcare systems 41:30

8M ago41:30

41:30

Listen to the podcast by Tracee Pratt, Executive Director, Women's Health Programs at Lois Hole Hospital and Sturgeon Community Hospital in Alberta and the Women's Health Lead for the Edmonton Zone speak about the evolution and success of the robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) program in the OR, and the downstream benefits. Tracee will share insights i…

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Have we found an animal reservoir of mpox? 26:29

9M ago26:29

26:29

Has the long-standing mystery of which wild animals form a reservoir of mpox in the wild finally been solved? Some scientists think they have cracked the case, pinpointing the fire-footed rope squirrel as the culprit, but questions remain before we can definitively say this species is to blame. Reporter Chhavi Sachdev in Mumbai has some good news –…

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The Kidney Waiting Game 26:29

9M ago26:29

26:29

What would you do if you have always considered yourself healthy and one day you find out that not only is this not the case, but you in fact need a new organ? We follow BBC journalist Mike Powell on his journey to receive a life-changing kidney transplant and talk to his donor who made it all possible. With a growing global need for kidneys, we he…

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Zimbabwe government takes on ‘friendship benches’ 26:28

9M ago26:28

26:28

‘Friendship benches’, a mental health intervention first piloted in Zimbabwe, are now being handed over to the government in that country. It is hoped that this will allow the program to become more widespread. Also on the show, a new device can convert brain signals to speach in nearly real time for those who have been paralysed, a medicine for ra…

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How do funding cuts feel? 26:27

9M ago26:27

26:27

What does it feel like to be part of a study which might have its funding cut? Marty Reiswig has a rare genetic mutation that means he will get Alzheimer’s disease in his forties or fifties. For fifteen years he’s been part of medical studies into his condition, but now, with the NIH announcing funding cuts, he’s worried the studies will stop. Also…

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Judge blocks further USAID shutdown 26:27

10M ago26:27

26:27

A federal judge has said the shuttering of USAID is ‘likely unconstitutional’, while the Trump administration has been ordered to pay back bills for USAID. But what difference is this making on the ground? Global health journalist Andrew Green is in Uganda finding out. Also on the show, a new safety trial shows yearly injections of the drug lenacap…

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Measles spreads in the Americas 26:29

10M ago26:29

26:29

The Americas are in danger of losing their measles elimination status as the disease spreads due to under vaccination. Also on the show, a study finds that continuous glucose monitors may be overestimating blood sugar levels in healthy adults. And it’s been ten years since Brazil experienced and epidemic of microcephaly due to the Zika virus. What …

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Ninety percent of USAID programs cut 26:26

10M ago26:26

26:26

As the Trump administration cuts 90% of programs funded by the US Agency for International Development, we look at the effect on global health. Also on the program, violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo is hindering the country’s ongoing MPox response – just as a new, more transmissible strain is discovered. And, a look at an initiative tryi…

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Improving global encephalitis care 26:28

10M ago26:28

26:28

Encephalitis can be a debilitating condition, but many people have never even heard of it. A new global report looks at how we can improve diagnosis and treatment. Also on the program, new research seems to indicate that antidepressents might speed cognitive decline in dementia patients, but do they really? We take a closer look at some of the cave…

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The global oxygen crisis 26:28

11M ago26:28

26:28

The global need for medical oxygen is high, but there are huge gaps in safe and affordable access. The first report of its kind identifies not only who is most vulnerable, but how the world can strengthen the supply of medical oxygen to improve public health and pandemic preparedness. We hear first-hand the impact of the USAID freeze on health clin…

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The psychology of nostalgia 26:29

11M ago26:29

26:29

Do you look back on the past with rose-tinted spectacles, memories of the good old days accompanied by warm, fuzzy feelings? Or when you reflect on the past is it hard to do so without a tinge of sadness? Whether you fall on the more bitter or more sweet side, this is the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. But nostalgia was not always just a feeling…

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Guinea eliminates sleeping sickness 26:28

11M ago26:28

26:28

As Guinea becomes the latest country to eliminate sleeping sickness, how close are we to defeating the disease completely? Also on the program, what does a massive shakeup at the US Agency for International Development mean for global health? And a new discovery is shedding a bit more light on a neural fossil in our ears. Presenter: Claudia Hammond…