The Lancet News: Recent Episodes
The Lancet
The Lancet News is a weekly podcast brought to you by The Lancet. Our editors, Tim Dehnel and Dara Mohammadi, report on important, interesting, and sometimes quirky health-related happenings from around the world, while providing a rundown of the latest news from The Lancet, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, The Lancet Neurology, and The Lancet Oncology.
Louis Pasteur was involved in the creation of the first rabies vaccine in the 1880s, but today one person every ten minutes still dies from rabies, with all of the deaths concentrated in low and middle-income countries. Prof. Katie Hampson joins Gavin and Jessamy to talk about the history of the vaccine and why it's proven so difficult to eliminate rabies.
Bruce Biccard and Dean Gopalan discuss their work looking at the poor outcomes for COVID-19 hospital patients across Africa, the first study of its kind, and Kwame McKenzie talks about how Canada has dealt with COVID-19 and what lessons have been learned about health equity.
Fighting fires and elephants: we look at the slow international response to the Ebola epidemic in west Africa and discuss the elephant in the room that is climate change and health, ahead of the UN Summit. Also in this week's podcast, kick-starting medicine with crowd funding.
Daily bread: How an antiquated, cold-war food aid system is stunting efforts to provide food to refugees amid multiple humanitarian crises. Also, geneticists celebrate the Wellcome Trust’s cork-popping £27 million boost to research in the UK, and college-level American Football players inch ever closer to ensuring adequate protection against sports-related brain injury.
Cease fire: Gaza correspondent Kristin Solberg joins The Lancet News to talk health and humanitarian issues. Also in this episode: a guide to chikungunya, the perils of sex-selective abortion, and mitochondrial replacement therapy in the UK.
Smallpox in a cardboard box: Discussion and debate surround the vials found on the National Institute of Health campus in the USA, and we talk about the HIV epidemic as the International AIDS Conference approaches. Correspondent Sophie Cousins speaks to us about her time in Aleppo's hospitals, and Andrew Green tells us the latest news about Ebola in west Africa.
Iraq's growing health crisis: Thousands of Iraqis have fled their homes following attacks by Sunni rebels who have taken over areas of the north and west of the country...
3D printing: in a special bumper podcast, we discuss the new 3D Print Exchange launched by the US National Institutes of Health, as well as the arrest of a former Novartis employee in Japan who stands accused of falsifying clinical data related to the hypertension drug valsartan...
Acts of War: this week saw the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict—we look at issues around obtaining reliable data and the need for local strategies to tackle rape and sexual violence in war...
Breaking Bad (habits): an opioid-rescue strategy pioneered in the badlands of New Mexico is now saving lives of prescription drug users...
Geneva on my mind: last week saw the 67th World Health Assembly. We find out what was discussed, what was planned, and what our senior executive editor Pam Das made of it all...
Down on the farm: We’re joined by Human Rights Watch, who tell us about the shockingly poor working conditions of children who work on tobacco farms in the USA...
Schistosomiasis control: Sam Loewenberg joins us to talk about the struggle to control the parasitic disease in Uganda...
Oh Canada: Despite pledging $2.85bn to help maternal and child health worldwide, Stephen Harper's Muskoka Initiative has come under fire for not being as transparent as it asks of others...
Hope in Qatar: We speak with Amnesty International, who want your help to improve the lives of migrant domestic workers in Qatar. Also, new advice on organ transplants from donors with cancer...
Leading Gates: We hear about the plans of Susan Desmond-Hellmann, new CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We also cover 18th century approaches to avoid drowning, gun control in the USA...
Society and global health: We explore what the outcome of the Indian election means for health care and why HIV is on the rise in some groups in South Africa...
The aftermath: 5 months on, progress has been made in the provision of health services for those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan, but vital gaps remain. We speak with Sima Barmania in Tacloban...
Cold turkey: Russia's annexing of Crimea has plunged the future of opioid substitution therapy there in to serious doubt, possibly forcing more than 800 individuals back into heroin addiction...
Fight for your right: Two interviews this week—both from countries in the midst of political upheaval. One on the health implications of (and motivations behind) unrest in Venezuela, and one on a controversial new emergency care law in Turkey.
This is Your Podcast on Drugs: New EU restrictions on smoking and illicit drug use in the ageing population take centre stage in the Lancet News this week.
Blue screen of life: We speak with UNICEF USA about their new smartphone app that urges users not to touch their phone (the screen goes blue) to provide water to children who need it...
South Sudan unrest: our correspondent Andrew Green joins us straight from Juba to describe the situation for the thousands of people displaced due to increasing violence in the country...
Buckle up: There's no time for Valentine's day as we speed through the biggest medical news stories of the week...
The right to health: This week we examine stories from around the world linked to the basic human right for health...
Scotland the brave: Later this year, Scotland votes on whether to secede from the UK. We hear what that would mean for health in an independent Scotland...
Close, but no cigar: Cuba's primary health system is impressive, but the country has some pressing health challenges. We speak with Sharmila Devi, who visited the country to find out more...
So that was 2013: We look back at the biggest stories of the year, our favourite podcasts, your favourite podcasts, and stories cherry-picked by Lancet Editors.
Agent Orange exposed: The IOM has added stroke to the list of suggestive after-effects of herbicide exposure in Vietnam veterans, but questions remain...
FDA v Home DNA: Together, Direct-to-consumer genetic testing has been thrown into doubt after the 23andMe and FDA stopped communicating, but what does it mean for personal genome screening?...
Strength in numbers: Together, rare diseases affect about 3 million people in the UK. We discuss a new UK-wide strategy to improve care for these patients...
Poisoned waters: why are funds to reduce arsenic poisoning drying up in Bangladesh? Find out in this week's podcast. Also, relaxing China's one-child-policy, shockingly low rates of organ donation in Germany...
Typhoon Haiyan: we talk to the International Medical Corps' Jacob Schafer in Cebu, Philippines, about what the international aid response has been like so far.
It's a knockout: Concussion in sport has received much attention of late, so we're joined by the Editor of The Lancet Psychiatry to discuss how sporting bodies can help protect people who play sport.
A bad plan: The Harper administration in Canada wants to make it more difficult for safe drug-injection rooms to exist. We interview the author of a World Report for the reaction from the medical community...
Modern slavery: Almost 30 million people are controlled by other people for economic or sexual gain. Kevin Bales joins us to explore the problems and the health implications for these disenfranchised people...
MIM's the word: We get the lowdown on what happened at the 6th International Malaria Conference (MIM). Also, the US government re-opens (but at what lasting cost to health?)...
Atlas of MS: The MS International Federation have pulled together the largest and most up-to-date interactive collection of MS data worldwide. We speak with one of its creators, who encourages everyone to have a go...
Shutdown and out: We're joined by our North American Editor to discuss Congress's failure to extend the debt ceiling and what the US government shutdown means for the future of Obamacare...
Health in crises: We take a look at how armed insurrections in the south Philippines and in Somalia make delivering aid all but impossible for those populations who need it most...
Physician's choice: a survey has shown that less than half of US doctors would choose a career in medicine if they had the choice again. Also discussed this week, abortion in Cuba, 9/11 cancer cases, and child maltreatment.
The pursuit of happiness: Jeffrey Sachs joins us to discuss the World Happiness Report 2013. Also, Sci-Fi medicine (an implantable, immune-reprogramming cancer vaccine)...
Violent crackdown: Kristin Solberg joins us from Cairo to discuss the human rights abuses, deaths, and consequences of the violent crackdown that started on Aug 14 in the city...
Chemical weapons: WMD expert Stephen Cantrill joins us to discuss symptoms, treatment options, and the history behind chemical weapons and nerve agents...
Cleaning up from oil: Brazil promises a cut of oil reserves to fund health and education, while the health effects of Deepwater Horizon disaster rumble on...
Syria's problems: Unique problems mean tough decisions over the health of Syria's 1.6 million refugees. We speak with Paul Spiegel from UNHCR about the challenges he faces in providing this care...
Neglected no longer: moves to get mycetoma onto the WHO neglected tropical disease list, continuing success for HIV/AIDS programmes in east and southern Africa...
The Datakeepers: Big Pharma have proposed a new voluntary commitment to (moderated) data sharing. Is it a genuine attempt to open up or just a protective cushion of bureaucracy?...
HIV, MSM, LDN: Incidence of HIV is rising in London's gay scene. We find out why. We also assess the pandemic potential of MERS coronavirus, appraise a titanic new cancer gene database, and round up The Lancet's best news and feature content.
Duck and cover: what preparations are being made in case of a nuclear explosion? We talk to NAACHO's Jack Herrmann about planning the response in the USA. Also in the show, river blindness and the Carter Center...
Social security: we discuss the news that Asia-Pacific governments spend too little on social protection, leaving the poorest people most vulnerable. Also this week, nosocomial infections in Europe, yoga in American schools...
Chimpan-free: Do we still need chimpanzees for biomedical research? We talk to the chairman of the IOM committee advising the US NIH. Also, quitting smoking before surgery, breast cancer prevention in the UK, and synthetic drugs.
Sniffing out TB: In a special report we explore a project in Tanzania that uses giant African pouched rats as a novel diagnostic technique for TB, and ask just how viable is the approach?...
Worms and germs: we look at what's caught our eye this week in the Lancet family (including some rather nasty eye worms), give you the latest developments on Guantanamo and illicit drug use in Paksitan...
Go big or go home: Big data is on the agenda this week as we give you the low down on a new global alliance for the sharing of genomic and clinical data...
Hunger bites: Half a million people in the UK relied on emergency food handouts last year. Our special report looks at why...
Smarties have the answer: Or do they? Although no evidence exists that so-called study drugs (drugs for ADHD) improve exam results, their use is on the rise among teens in America...
Relief in sight: Ukraine finally allows patients to receive strong pain killers. Also, we ask if drug packaging should state whether animals were used in testing...
28 too many: Female genital mutilation is practiced in 28 countries in Africa. We speak with a new charity that aims to cut this number down to zero. Also in the podcast, yet another new virus and a call to action from the Schizophrenia Fellowship.
Healthy choices? North Korea edges towards a food shortage while Bolivia expels USAID, and the US FDA appeals against a Federal court ordering it to prescribe levonorgestrel to all ages...
H7N9: Get up to scratch with this new strain of bird flu. Where's it from, who's got it, and how deadly is it? Also, problems mounting for Syrian refugees and we're joined by some of the winners of this year's Grand Challenges Canada funding...
Under the bridge: A US Supreme Court decision on genes and patent trolls, and the UK proposes its first drug-use rooms for heroin and cocaine addicts.
Smoking on screen: the number of smoking scenes in youth-rated US movies has doubled between 2010 and 2012. Should all films containing smoking scenes be R-rated? Tune in to find out more.
Evergreen no more: is the game up for Novartis' patent-prolonging practices in India? We discuss the fallout from India's recent victory over Novartis in their long-running patent war.
No country for old men: the number of Alzheimer's deaths in the USA have increased by nearly 70% in the past decade. We ask why. Also in the podcast, India gets tough on rape...
Going for gold: we're joined by Lord Seb Coe, the UK Olympics Legacy Ambassador, who tells us how he plans to make sure that London 2012 leaves the UK-and the rest of the world-a healthier place.
Pygmy problems: Congo's pygmy population has disturbingly low access to maternal health care. Also in the Podcast, plans to reduce the number of paediatric cardiology units in the UK hit a stumbling block, alarming rates of child abuse in Australia...
Citizen Science: in a health technology double-header, we discuss a computer game to help cure cancer and an app to train the next generation of surgeons. Also in the podcast, gonorrhoea in the UK, the arrest of 20 doctors in Niger...
The road to Damascus: Typhoid breaks out in Syria as the medical infrastructure crumbles. Also in the podcast, mental health in Indonesia, a victory for Chinese anti-counterfeiters, Afghan civilian casualties of war, smoking in New Zealand and Chile...
Tomayto, tomarto: We look at why the US FDA has said no to a new diabetes drug, but Europe and Japan have said yes. We also talk about treating psychological trauma in children (no one knows how), gender-based violence and HIV in the UK...
All the data, all the trials: we take a look at the AllTrials initiative and the news that GSK are jumping on board. We also explore doping in Australian sport and discuss a new women's cancer initiative, a pollution treaty in Asia, condom delivery in Dubai, and how better school meals could stop kids getting so darned fat.
Gold, lead, and Goodluck: Nigeria's President releases US $4 million to clean up lead-contaminated villages in the wake of the country's gold rush. Also in the podcast, NFL stars pledge $100 million to health research...
The Beijing Cough: pollution in Beijing is getting out of hand, so what measures are the government taking to control the situation? Also in the podcast, poliovirus detected in Cairo's sewers, a day of zero tolerance to female genital mutilation...
Combating suicide: we look at why more active-duty troops in the USA died by suicide than in combat in Afghanistan in 2012. We also discuss China and the UK's new partnership to improve global health, IVF legislation in Costa Rica...
Mercury rising: In this week's podcast we look at a new global effort to control mercury emissions, why Spanish doctors are resigning en masse over privatisation, US stem cell laws, China's drug pricing, and more.
Measles surge in Pakistan: the number of measles deaths in Pakistan increased fivefold in 2012. We ask why. We also talk about HIV in China, a TB milestone, and one of the more bizarre stories from over the festive break-tune in to find out more.
The end of the human race: we discuss extinction-level risks with Lord Rees, Astronomer Royal and one of the founders of Cambridge University's Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.
Big Pharma ranking: we're joined by David Sampson, one of the authors of the 2012 Access to Medicines Index, which ranks the 20 biggest drug companies according to their efforts to improve access to drugs in low-income countries.
The Global Fund appoints a new leader: we speak with Ann Danaiya Usher, an editor at Development Today, about the appointment of Mark Dybul as the Executive Director of the Global Fund.
Bionic limbs, memory-enhancing drugs, or even hair transplantation-how will human enhancement change the people you work with? Tune in to find out.
Hurricanes, earthquakes, and cholera. We talk to Joan Arnan (head of MSF's Mission in Haiti) for the latest news, direct from Port-au-Prince. Also in the podcast: disease outbreaks in Africa, inequity, stem cells, and supercomputers.
In this week's Lancet News podcast we speak to Prof Maria Leptin, Director of EMBO and President of the Initiative for Science in Europe, about a petition to save scientific funding in Europe. More than 50 Nobel and Field medal laureates have expressed their concerns ahead of the EU budget negotiations, have you signed up?
The smokeless conspiracy: scandal, break-ins, and tobacco feature this week as we speak to the former EU Commissioner, John Dalli, who has been caught up in the biggest corruption probe to hit the European Union's top ranks in years.
The human cost of the Syrian conflict: continued fighting in Syria has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, who are now living in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. We discuss the plight of those individuals as a difficult winter approaches.
Drone warfare: we're joined by MEDACT's Tomasz Pierscionek, who discusses the physical and physiological impact of drone warfare. We also take a look at dodgy dietary supplements in the USA.
The Big Flush: Zimbabwe's mass synchronised toilet flush. Also, Switzerland refuses to quit smoking (in public spaces), dementia in Australia, and the birth of the valorously named Task Force for Antibiotic Development.
Canada has been a long-term supporter of the asbestos industry. But now, after years of opposing the international community, Canada has finally stepped into line and has turned its back on the industry. Tune in to find out why.
Home HIV tests in the USA could be set to revolutionise HIV prevention efforts, but they are not without their problems. Also in the podcast: polio in Nigeria and health effects of climate change in the UK.
Cocaine use on a high in Brazil, American football tackles brain injuries, and we discuss the European CDC's continued exclusion of boys from their HPV vaccination guidelines. Oh, and listen out for a biscuit fact related to one of these storie.
The Gaza Strip will uninhabitable by 2020 as its population continues to grow and its only water source teeters on the edge of destruction; Australia approve an abortion pill; and Niall Boyce reflects on the Mental Discrimination Bill.
The US porn industry screeches to a halt after an outbreak of syphilis, Ghana ratifies its disability rights convention, and a legal battle between Novartis and India rumbles on.
Bill Gates versus the toilet, a new role for HIV nurses in Zimbabwe, and the FDA say no for codeine in kids.
This week's special episode focuses on Shuga, MTV's hard-hitting Kenyan drama series, and features an interview with Georgia Arnold, Executive Director of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation.
This week's episode features discussions on the food crisis in Syria, health and economics in Japan, and the outcome of the first nodding syndrome meeting in Uganda.
750000 people are killed each year as a result of armed violence; that's one person a minute. So you would have thought that the UN's arms-trade treaty would have been welcomed.
The Lancet News podcast features World Hepatitis Day, which takes place on July 28. Also in the podcast, Greek debt crisis hitting scientific research, breathalysers in France, and suicide in Uruguay.
Circumcision is in the spotlight this week in The Lancet News podcast. Also in the podcast: Torture in Tajikistan, abortion in Mississippi, and child labour in Peru.
Was the Fukushima accident really caused by a culture of reflexive obedience, reluctance to question authority, and insularity? Tune into The Lancet News podcast to find out more.
Israel accused of children's rights violations, Australian sportsmen giving alcohol the boot, and funding shortfalls threaten food supply for African refugees.
This week: legalisation of cannabis in Uruguay, rising obesity in Australia, and funding shortfalls threatening progress in polio eradication. We also have an interview with Soumyadeep Bhaumik.
Tim Dehnel and Dara Mohammadi discuss a possible new HIV prevention tool designed for women, lawsuits against the Ugandan Government, and neglect of children in North Korea.
This week's Lancet News looks at the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Scotland and football related violence. And, as always, we give you a rundown of this week's news from The Lancet Oncology.
Mario Christodoulou and Dara Mohammadi talk about inequalities in childhood immunisation. About 19 million children are not receiving basic childhood vaccinations. Most of these unimmunised children are in southeast Asia and Africa. Also: prevention of drowning in Asia, air pollution from ships.
Mario Christodoulou and Dara Mohammadi report on progress with tobacco control in Turkey and highlight World No Smoking Day 2012. Also in the podcast: human rights abuses in Brazil, global food security, and whooping cough in Washington.
A gruesome tale of human flesh in pills, a drug to prevent HIV, and dignified death in Argentina. Plus news from this weeks' The Lancet Oncology and The Lancet's World Report desk. Mario Christodoulou and Dara Mohammadi report.
This week's Lancet News looks at a suicide in Japan, Facebook and organ donation, and the best and worst places in the world to be a mum. And, as always, we give you a rundown of this week's news from The Lancet Oncology.
This week's Lancet News looks at a mystery disease in Vietnam, gay and bisexual health in the UK, and the detection of mad cow disease in the USA. And, as always, we give you a rundown of this week's news from The Lancet Oncology.
Mario Christodoulou and Dara Mohammadi check out a new website called Tourettes Hero, gold mines and silicosis, and HIV in Nepal. Udani Samarasekera also talks to one of our reporters in South Sudan about the dire state of its health system.
Mario Christodoulou and Dara Mohammadi discuss antibiotics in farm animals, repeal of the death penalty in Connecticut, and cut-price rotavirus vaccines low-income countries.
Mario Christodoulou and Dara Mohammadi report on important, interesting, and sometimes quirky health-related happenings from around the world, while providing a rundown of the latest news from The Lancet journals.