Mpox vaccines are finally arriving on the African continent, but are they getting to the places that need them most? We look at what the situation is, and why it can take so long for vaccines to get where they are needed.

Also on the show, can you catch up on missed weekday sleep on the weekends, and the test that shows promise for new snakebite treatments.

In 2017, Adam Tjolle accidentally discovered he had a brain tumour. At the time, presenter and close friend Claudia Hammond followed him on his journey before, during and after undergoing life-changing surgery. Meeting up now in Malawi, Adam and Claudia listen back to the old recordings and reflect on what has changed for Adam since his operation.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

The World Health Organisation has officially declared the spread of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.

Health Check has been following the spread of the disease across the Democratic Republic of Congo and now internationally in recent weeks, and Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC health journalist Philippa Roxby to discuss the latest developments.

Claudia and Philippa also look at the doctors strikes taking place across India following the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. Hundreds of thousands of doctors have refused to work, with hospitals and clinics turning away non-emergency patients.

We also find out how prescription drugs get given their names, with Professor Caleb Alexander from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health telling us about the risks of getting it wrong.

Claudia also hears how personal objects can help us form links in our brains and remember our loved ones.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

More than four years after the start of the Covid pandemic, the virus is showing no signs of fading away. This week, the World Health Organisation warned, in fact, that coronavirus is making a comeback, with 84 countries reporting an increase in positive test rates.

For an in-depth look at how the world is coping with the disease, Claudia Hammond speaks to immunologist Professor Danny Altmann from Imperial College London to ask what the future might hold.

Claudia is also joined by global health journalist Andrew Green to discuss whether Covid conspiracy theories are leading to a rise in AIDS denialism.

We hear the latest developments on the spread of the mosquito and midge-borne Oropouche virus, as cases of the disease are confirmed to have been found in Europe for the first time.

And as many of Europe’s major football leagues prepare to get underway again this week, we hear about the tobacco product snus that’s proving to be particularly popular with footballers, and whether it could give them an edge or pose a health risk.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

Across the African continent cases of MPox have surged 160% this year. What is behind the spread, and what can be done to stop it?

Also on the programme: the prescription of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy is increasing as more health benefits are discovered, but what does that mean for supply issues? And there is a lot of talk about lactic acid and the Olympics, but does that word mean what you think it means?

(Photo: A mother checks the progress of her son after recovering from Mpox - an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 18 July, 2024. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters)

The world’s first deaths from the mosquito-borne Oropouche virus have been recorded in Brazil. Two women have died from the illness in the state of Bahia in the northeast of the country.

Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Ayan Panja to discuss the implications of outbreaks of Oropouche across South and Central America.

We also hear about the latest developments with Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab as it’s rejected for use by the EU’s health regulator. The European Medicines Agency says the benefits of the drug don’t counterbalance the risk of serious side effects, despite it being approved in the US earlier this year.

Claudia and Ayan also look at both the psychology of languishing and whether loneliness leads to a higher risk of having a stroke.

And we look at the research suggesting cycling to work can lead to an almost 50% lower risk of dying.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

Systemic racism affects our wellbeing long before we ever see a doctor. How can the health community address it?

Also on the programme, a new malaria vaccine is rolled out in the Ivory Coast, we take a closer look at the story behind it. And while we have long been cautioned against heavy exercise before sleep, it turns out that light intermittent exercise may be the secret to getting a bit more sleep.

In the last two years, online searches for ‘toxic positivity’ have spiked. In this discussion from the Cheltenham Science Festival, we find out what toxic positivity is, and how it can hurt you and people around you.

In front of a live audience, Claudia Hammond is joined by psychologist Dr Linda Blair, GP and educator Dr Anisha Patel, and wellbeing consultant and content creator Benjy Kusi.

Linda has been interested in the rise in the use of the term ‘toxic positivity’ and has noticed how it’s having an impact on our wellbeing. She reveals why it is important for us not to suppress ‘negative’ feelings and emotions.

Anisha was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was 39. She authored the book Everything You Hoped You’d Never Need To Know About Bowel Cancer, where she speaks about her diagnosis and treatment journey. She experienced first-hand the harm that toxic positivity can do.

Benjy works with many different companies to help improve their inclusion and wellbeing practices. He’s the author of the book Hope This Helps and posts frequent videos about lots of tricky issues on TikTok and Instagram.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

A new medication offers a potentially revolutionary disruption in HIV transmission – just as a leading global program to fight the disease gets hit with funding cuts.

Also on the program, what can the recent heat wave in India teach the rest of the world about heat adaptation, and how health care systems can deal with rising temperatures world wide.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

A special episode from this year’s annual Royal Society Summer Exhibition in London, with Claudia Hammond joined by BBC health and science correspondent, James Gallagher, to take a look at a range of new health research.

The exhibitions include a look at how special forms of UV light might be able to cut away cancerous cells in brain tumours, with the possibility of light emitting bandages also being used to target cancer treatments.

Claudia and James also look at research from The Francis Crick Institute into whether a simple blood test can help work out how to quickly identify patients who are most likely to deteriorate when they have a virus.

We also hear how much brain devices we can buy online really tell us about our brain activity, as well as research into how the way babies wriggle may help identify future developmental issues.

Claudia and James also compete in a number of scientific games to see who is this year’s Summer Exhibition champion.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond