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 impacts of plastic waste firsthand and delve into the scientific evidence about how plastic harms health with Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London.

25 years on from the SuperAgers research project being established, we catch up with lead investigator Sandra Weintraub who is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg Mesulam Institute to find out what factors link these age-defying brains.

Claudia and BBC Health Reporter Philippa Roxby have a go at conch blowing as there is new research saying it might help the breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnoea.

Plus, research into the relationship between a covid-19 infection and RSV in children.

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 joined by specialist Dr Marko Kerac to understand the health impacts of malnutrition and what interventions are urgently needed.

The WHO has issued an urgent call for action to tackle mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus that has seen increasing cases since the beginning of the year. Professor Trudie Lang explains how the hardest hit countries are responding.

Using virtual reality, scientists have discovered that our immune system kicks into action at just the sight of a sick person. Matt and Claudia look at the unusual methods used to understand how our brains prepare for contact with a pathogen.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 in the balance. We hear how the cuts have impacts one HIV clinic in Thailand and Devex correspondent Andrew Green unpacks the bigger picture.

Could a temporary tattoo help combat drink spiking? We hear how it works and consider if anyone would actually wear one.

A new neuroscience project is training non-specialists in India and Tanzania to gather brain data using portable headsets. Dr Tara Thiagarajan from Sapien Labs explains how diversifying brain data sets, which are often biased towards western populations, might improve health outcomes.

How we sweat and why it matters. Layal and Claudia unpick new research that suggests sweat rises like a tide inside our skin.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 resistance.

Both Burundi and Senegal announced last week that they had eliminated trachoma. Dr Graham Easton walks us through the long road to this milestone.

A passionate debate has caused division in Maharashtra, India, over the possibility of homeopaths being allowed to practice and prescribe conventional medicine. Reporter Chhavi Sachdev explains why doctors on both sides are striking.

In the UK, eight babies made with the combined genetic material of three people have been born without the hereditary mitochondrial disease. We explore the implications of this breakthrough.

Sex at birth might not be as random as we once thought; a new study found that families with three children of the same sex are more likely to have another child of the same sex.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 investigates the measures in place to keep the disease at bay.

A skin swab test could detect Parkinson’s disease 7 years ahead of symptoms developing. We find out how it’s all thanks to a woman who can smell the disease.

In the UK, Claudia meets the Cycling Together group which teaches women who are experiencing anxiety, depression or abusive relationships how to ride a bike.

A woman in Guadeloupe went for a routine blood test and 15 years later discovers she has a unique blood type. But what does this mean for her health, and actually is a blood type anyway?

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 becoming more common for athletes to drink the briny solution in a bid to tackle cramps.

Gastric cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer have predicted that the bacteria Helicobacter pylori may be responsible for over 11 million future gastric cancer cases in people born between 2008 and 2017.

How can we prepare for a future where socially assistive robots are integrated into healthcare and the home? Professor Helen Meese joins us to explain some of the practical and ethical concerns that accompany the rise of helpful robots in clinical and home settings.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 targets to treat apathy in Parkinson’s disease? Tom Gilbertson and Isla Barnard from the University of Dundee explain all.

Also on the show, EntangleCam is using quantum physics to improve what we can see inside the human body and how breast cancer is diagnosed.

Plus, surgical gloves with special sensors that improve precision and sensitivity in obstetrics and surgery. Carmen Fernadez fills us in on the engineering behind them and Dawn Parris tells us about her research into their use in practice.

Join us for a special episode of Health Check from The Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition in London. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher to take a look and compete in scientific games to see who this year’s champion is.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 themselves. Reporter Stephanie Tam talks to the therapists aiming to break cycles of intergenerational trauma in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Being diagnosed with ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome, can be a long process that requires ruling out other conditions first, we discover how researchers are working towards identifying blood biomarkers of chronic fatigue syndrome. Also, on the show we hear from Dr Adele Goman who has unexpectedly found hearing interventions reduce the risk of falling.

Finally, Dr Phil Silva the founder of the Dunedin Study has died. We take a look at some of the key achievements of this landmark study that has been running for half a century. It follows the same group of almost 1000 people, all born within 12 months of each other in the early 1970s.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

(Image: Doctor injecting a vaccine. Credit: Karl Tapales via Getty Images)

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 ability to mentally time travel into the future is useful for everyday tasks as well as fundamental to shaping our identity.

Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, discusses how thinking about the future motivates us in the present.

And Peter Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, describes how professional sportspeople use visualisation and future thinking to improve sporting success.

Together they discuss how we hold ideas of the future in mind, whether unbounded optimism is the best way ahead – or not, and how to science-proof our goal setting and future planning.

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, details of health available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide at befrienders.org.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 laboratory setting, but they hope this could lead to future treatment pathways that clear HIV from the body.

Also on the show we take a look at healthy ageing; from the role of power in living longer, to reducing the risk of dementia in younger generations, and even the influence of daily cups of coffee on our health as we get older.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

(Photo: Digitally generated image of virus cells of mpox infection. Credit: Getty Images)