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 length of a patients' hospital stay. Dr Kristina Wanyonyi-Kay Research Programme Leader at The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute at the University of Cambridge assesses what this Japanese study tells is about the connection between oral health and the rest of our bodies.

The Africa CDC and WHO have just launched ambitious targets to cut Cholera by 90% across Africa. Global health journalist Andrew Green assesses if this target is likely to be met with the measures proposed.

We meet a Chilean football team who’ve all had organ transplants. They’re trying to raise awareness and improve the number of donors in the country. Our reporter Jane Chambers went to Santiago to find out more.

Could music help or worsen travel sickness? A study in China found happy music improved symptoms whilst sad music made them worse.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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 explains.

BBC Africa’s health correspondent Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia to delve into a decade-long research programme that found child mortality rates almost halved when poorer families in Kenya were given $1000 unconditionally.

Chhavi Sachdev reports from India where government efforts to curtail rising rabies infections from stray dog bites has caused mass uproar.

We explore the drivers behind a global wildfire paradox where scientists have observed a decline in the total area burned by fires but found the number of people exposed to wildfires has increased.

Plus, Dorcas brings us the latest on the $9.7 million worth of contraceptives due to be destroyed after the scaling back of USAID.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

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.

We consider a new review that found no evidence ketamine is effective at helping those with chronic pain, despite it being prescribed off-label for this use in some countries.

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