World in Progress

Medical doctors are in high demand and many leave their home countries for better jobs and more pay abroad. That's a dilemma many countries in Africa are facing, including Ghana, where many doctors take off once they have completed their medical degree. The problem is even worse in the countryside. But trying to fix the issue is often met with resistance, as Moritz Pompl discovered.

As expanding locust swarms threaten the food security of millions of people in East Africa, we talk to a UN expert about what needs to be done to avert a famine. We'll also visit Zimbabwe, where years of drought and a collapsing economy have left half the population facing hunger, and find out why women and girls often bear the brunt of food crises.

This week, we meet activists in sub-Saharan Africa who are trying to change entrenched cultural beliefs surrounding female genital mutilation, and find out how motorbike ambulances are saving lives in remote Indian villages. We'll also hear from victims of Mexico's drug war who are campaigning for peace amid ongoing violence.

The current Corona virus outbreak highlights the importance or international coordination in health, and the World Health Organization plays and important role in that. But as UN members states have decreased regular contributions, the WHO now increasingly relies on private donors, whose agendas also influence international health policies. Conflicts of interest may harm millions of people.

How can prisons help prepare inmates for the outside world once they are released? In Germany one big concern is that inmates don't lose touch with their kids. We also hear about how inmates are being taught basic skills at prisons in Cambodia.

Human Rights Watch says decades of progress on human rights are at stake because of China — we hear from the NGO's executive director who was barred from entering Hong Kong. Critical voices are silenced in Morocco where 15 journalists, bloggers, rappers and social media users have been arrested. And unwanted immigrants in Japan who have been denied asylum end up in prolonged detention.

What does automation mean for Bangladesh's textile workers? A young Syrian has invented a heater that runs on pistachio shells to stave off the cold — could it help those in refugee camps survive the winter? And: ever heard of human Google?

Villagers in the Kendeng mountains of Java fight for their livelihoods as an increasing number of cement factories threatens water resources and protected areas. Resistance against those in power has a long tradition, since this region is home to the oldest social movement in the country. Thomas Kruchem met up with some of the modern leaders of this movement for this in-depth documentary.

A rare glimpse of life inside Libya, where chaos and violence reign since the government in Tripoli hasn't been able to establish stability // An increasing number of illegal migrants is arriving ashore the Greek island of Samos, putting the already overcrowded reception facilities as well as local people under increasing pressure//

As today's fast-paced world spins faster and faster, the pressure is taking a toll on people's mental health. In South Korea, societal expectations have pressured employees into coming along to office outings they'd rather not take part in. Young Nigerian women have been forced into prostitution after being promised lucrative jobs in Europe.