Science in 5

Is green, healthy transport possible?

April 15, 2024 08:48 - 4 minutes - 7.36 MB

In this WHO Science in 5-episode Dr Etienne Krug, Director of Social Determinants of Health, shares examples of cities that are taking action on greener more sustainable transport that can also help keep people healthier and safe. For example, Mexico City, Mexico has increased cycling lanes while making roads safer Cali, Colombia has sent out bike doctors to help repair bikes and Lusaka, Zambia created safer routes for children to get to school.

Dengue Fever

March 28, 2024 10:26 - 4 minutes - 7.26 MB

Why is Dengue fever spreading to places it did not exist before? What are the symptoms and treatments? What about vaccines? Dr Raman Velayudhan explains in Science in 5.

Disease X

March 15, 2024 14:08 - 5 minutes - 12.3 MB

Disease X How are scientists working to prevent the next pandemic? What do countries need to do to prepare? Dr Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo outlines the R&D needs that the world needs to invest in to prevent and prepare for the next pandemic.

Obesity – 1 March 2024

March 01, 2024 12:35 - 4 minutes - 4.3 MB

WHO's Science in 5 / Episode# 113 -- Did you know that where you live, the food systems around you and your opportunities to be active increase your risk of developing obesity? How big is this issue? How can you reduce your risk and protect yourself? WHO’s Dr Francesco Branca explains in Science in 5.

What is Long COVID?

February 22, 2024 19:36 - 4 minutes - 6.68 MB

If you have suffered from COIVID and are still feeling the symptoms, could it be Long COVID? What are the symptoms? Are treatments available? WHO’s Dr Jamie Rylance explains in science in 5.

Science in 5: What is Long COVID?

February 22, 2024 19:36 - 4 minutes - 6.68 MB

If you have suffered from COIVID and are still feeling the symptoms, could it be Long COVID? What are the symptoms? Are treatments available? WHO’s Dr Jamie Rylance explains in science in 5.

Sun and skin cancer

January 19, 2024 02:30 - 5 minutes - 10.2 MB

WHO and the International Labor Organization (ILO) recently released estimates on how many workers are exposed to intense sunlight at work and how many of them develop non melanoma skin cancer. How does long exposure to sunlight cause skin cancer? Who is at risk? How can you, your employer and your Government protect you? Dr Frank Pega explains in Science in 5

Protecting you from substandard and falsified medicines

January 05, 2024 10:02 - 5 minutes - 5.53 MB

You may have heard about substandard or falsified syrup harming children and even causing deaths. There have been reports of falsified diabetes and weight loss treatments. How can you protect yourself? How does WHO keep you safe from substandard or falsified medical products ? WHO’s Pernette Bourdillon Esteve explains in Science in 5.

Adult eye care

December 18, 2023 09:22 - 5 minutes - 9.45 MB

Did you know that 70% of the people who need eye glasses do not have access to them? What are the leading causes of blindness? Who is at risk and how can you prevent it? Dr Stuart Keel explains in Science in 5 this week.

How can you protect your child’s vision?

November 30, 2023 17:32 - 4 minutes - 8.51 MB

Did you know that more and more children are having trouble seeing things that are at a distance? What are the early signs? How would you know if your child is at risk and what can you do to protect your child’s vision? Dr Stuart Keel explains in Science in 5

How is climate change affecting your health?

November 10, 2023 02:30 - 5 minutes - 11.1 MB

Climate change is affecting your health every day. What are the future scenarios for health? How can you cope and protect your health? Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum explains in Science in 5.

Why should you care about Data?

October 27, 2023 10:59 - 5 minutes - 10.4 MB

Why should you care about data? what can data do for you? How does WHO work with data? Dr Samira Asma explains how data works to protect your health in Science in 5.

Growing up informed: Sexuality Education

October 17, 2023 11:49 - 5 minutes - 10.3 MB

Are you a parent, teacher or just someone who cares about sexuality education? Dr. Chandra-Mauli Venkataraman answers the important questions on sexuality education in the latest episode of Science in 5. Tune in to learn why it is crucial for our overall health and when, how and by whom it should be provided.

Smoke-free indoor spaces

September 28, 2023 23:30 - 5 minutes - 5.19 MB

Indoor smoke-free spaces are becoming more commonplace, and for good reason. Did you know that over a million people die every year due to second-hand smoke? One in three countries now have policies in place to create 100% smoke-free spaces, according to a recent WHO report. How do indoor smoke-free spaces help our health and our economies? Dr Kerstin Schotte explains in Science in 5.

Brain health

September 22, 2023 10:08 - 4 minutes - 8.05 MB

How can you keep your brain healthy and who is at risk of poor brain health? Dr Tarun Dua explains all you need to know about brain health in Science in 5.

Protect yourself from extreme heat

July 25, 2023 11:40 - 5 minutes - 9.98 MB

As parts of the world experience record breaking temperatures, learn how heat harms us, who is at risk and what you can do to protect yourself. Dr Joy Shumake-Guillemot explains in Science in 5.

Do sweeteners help with weight loss?

July 13, 2023 22:30 - 5 minutes - 4.99 MB

Do non-sugar sweeteners help with weight loss? Do they pose a risk to your health? What about so called “natural” sweetness like Stevia? Jason Montez explains the findings from the new WHO report in Science in 5

How can you protect children from violence?

June 20, 2023 11:13 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MB

One in 2 children in the world suffers from violence which could be sexual, emotional or physical. This includes online violence. How can you recognize signs of violence and prevent it? WHO’s Sabine Rakotomalala explains in Science in 5 this week.

Three things to keep in mind when taking antibiotics

May 12, 2023 14:14 - 5 minutes - 10.3 MB

WHO has been urging rational use of antibiotics for decades now. Why is that? What is at risk? And what can governments and individuals do to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations? Dr Hanan Balkhy explains on Science in 5

COVID-19 evolving variants and how to stay safe

May 04, 2023 15:36 - 4 minutes - 4.71 MB

Why are we seeing rising number of COVID-19 cases in some parts of the world? How is the SARS CoV 2 virus evolving? What do Governments and the public need to do to live with COVID-19 safely? Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.

Will the world eradicate polio in 2023?

April 21, 2023 14:43 - 5 minutes - 11.1 MB

WHO and partners are aiming to interrupt all remaining transmission of poliovirus in 2023. Will the world eradicate this debilitating disease in 2023? How far have we come in our efforts and what will it take to bring the cases down to zero? WHO’s Aidan O’Leary explains in Science in 5 .

mpox update

March 24, 2023 14:33 - 5 minutes - 9.79 MB

WHO has declared that the Public Health Emergency of International Concern for Mpox remains in effect. Dr Rosamund Lewis provides a status update, lessons learned from the response so far and elaborates on who is at risk in Science in 5 this week.

SARs-CoV-2 virus origins

March 15, 2023 13:08 - 5 minutes - 11.4 MB

WHO's technical lead on COVID-19 talks to us about the status of the scientific work needed to find the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Dr Maria Van Kerkhove provides an update, explains why it is important to understand the origins of pandemics, what WHO's role is in achieving this and how WHO works to prevent future pandemics.

Are you consuming too much salt?

March 10, 2023 06:50 - 5 minutes - 5.27 MB

WHO’s latest report is urging everyone to reduce salt in our diet. What happens when we consume too much salt? How would we know if we are consuming too much salt and what can we do to reduce it? WHO’s Dr Francesco Branca explains in Science in 5.

Hearing loss

March 03, 2023 07:54 - 5 minutes - 9.88 MB

What are the early signs of hearing loss? Can it be cured? What can you do to prevent hearing loss? Dr Shelly Chadha explains in Science in 5

Disability and health inequity

February 10, 2023 14:37 - 5 minutes - 10.1 MB

WHO 's latest report highlights that one in six people in the world have significant disability and experience inequity. What are these inequities and how can we address them? WHO’s Darryl Barrett explains in Science in 5

Everything you need to know about Trans fats

January 23, 2023 14:58 - 5 minutes - 5.36 MB

WHO is urging action by Governments and the food industry to remove trans fats from our food chain. Which foods contain trans fats? How do they harm us? WHO’s Dr Farncesco Branca explains in Science in 5

Influenza

January 13, 2023 06:51 - 5 minutes - 11.3 MB

How does the vaccine combat the Influenza virus? How does WHO track influenza across the world to decide the composition of the vaccine? WHO expert Dr Sylvie Briand also explains why we are seeing a spike in respiratory diseases in Science in 5

Spike in respiratory diseases in children

December 23, 2022 02:00 - 4 minutes - 8.46 MB

Why are we seeing a spike in respiratory diseases in children. What are the symptoms and red flags for parents? How can we protect our children and grown from these infections? WHO’s Dr Wilson Were explains in Science in 5.

Living with COVID-19

December 20, 2022 02:00 - 5 minutes - 5.2 MB

As we enter the 4th year of the Pandemic, what do we know about Omicron so far? Are there settings where you are more at risk? What does it mean to live with COVID-19 ? Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.

Is Measles making a comeback?

December 08, 2022 16:28 - 3 minutes - 6.09 MB

Is Measles making a comeback? Why are we seeing a resurgence of the diseases? What can parents do to protect children from Measles ? Dr Patrick O’Conner explains in Science in 5 this week.

Microbes are becoming resistant to antibiotics

November 24, 2022 16:57 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MB

Microbes like bacteria, fungus and viruses are becoming resistant to medicines like antibiotics. WHO has declared antimicrobial resistance as a global health and developmental threat. How can we stop antimicrobial resistance? Dr Hanan Balkhy explains in Science in 5.

Oral health

November 21, 2022 09:00 - 5 minutes - 9.76 MB

A new WHO report shows that half of world’s population suffers from diseases of teeth, gums or the mouth. Why is oral health important for everyone? What conditions can result from poor oral health? How can we maintain and improve oral health? Dr Benoit Varenne explains in Science in 5.

Future of Health

November 11, 2022 09:31 - 5 minutes - 11.1 MB

2023 will mark the 75th year of the World Health Organization. The world has achieved many public health milestones in these 75 years. In Science in 5 today we will take a look into the future - to understand what are the innovations we can expect and what will be some of our biggest challenges. Here to paint us a picture of what Health for All would look like in the future is WHO's Chief Scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan.

Minimize infection at health care facilities

October 28, 2022 09:29 - 5 minutes - 10.7 MB

Half the health care facilities in the world do not have basic hygiene services. What are the points when you are most at risk of infection at a healthcare facility? How can you lower your risk of infection? WHO’s Dr Richard Johnston explains in Science in 5.

Older adults and COVID-19 vaccines

October 14, 2022 06:10 - 5 minutes - 10.7 MB

What do we know so far about older adults and COVID-19 vaccines? How long does the effect of the vaccine last and how successful have countries been in vaccinating older adults? WHO’s Dr Katherine O’Brien explains in Science in 5

Public Health Emergency of International Concern

October 07, 2022 10:47 - 4 minutes - 9.03 MB

How does WHO determine that an outbreak or an event constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern? What actions does it trigger in countries? How does WHO decide that an outbreak no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern? WHO’s Dr Carmen Dolea explains in Science in 5.

Safe abortions

September 28, 2022 01:00 - 5 minutes - 10.2 MB

What are safe abortions? What makes abortions unsafe? When access to abortion is blocked legally does that impact the number of abortions? WHO’s Dr Bela Ganatra explains in a Science in 5

Is poliovirus making a comeback?

September 22, 2022 19:00 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MB

What does it mean when polio virus is detected in the sewage of a City? Dr Zubair Wadood explains what it will take to eradicate polio from the planet in Science in 5.

COVID-19: mRNA technologies

September 02, 2022 09:00 - 5 minutes - 10.3 MB

What is the scope and future of mRNA technologies? Dr Soumya Swaminathan explains the challenges in rolling the technology out and safety of mRNA vaccines in Science in 5.

Hepatitis outbreak in children

August 26, 2022 01:30 - 6 minutes - 12.3 MB

WHO’s Dr Philippa Easterbrook gives a situation update on the recent hepatitis outbreak affecting children including possible causes and steps parents, caregivers and countries should take.

Monkeypox: Who is at risk?

July 23, 2022 18:30 - 5 minutes - 5.23 MB

Which communities are most at risk of Monkeypox in the current outbreak and why? WHO’s Andy Seale explains how we can support the communities at risk in Science in 5.

COVID-19: Omicron sub variant risk

July 19, 2022 06:26 - 5 minutes - 9.55 MB

What do we know about sub variants of Omicron so far? Are they more transmissible? Do they cause more severe disease? How is the risk of infection being perceived by the experts and the public? WHO’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.

Mental Health

July 01, 2022 09:09 - 4 minutes - 9.11 MB

WHO’s World Mental Health Report says that mental health is the leading cause of disability. How did the pandemic impact our mental health? What are the signs and how can we keep ourselves mentally healthy? Dr Mark Van Ommeren explains in Science in 5.

Monkeypox

June 09, 2022 15:56 - 4 minutes - 4.65 MB

What are the symptoms of Monkeypox? Who is at risk and how can we protect ourselves? Why is WHO concerned about it? WHO’s Dr Rosamund Lewis explains in Science in 5.

Genome Sequencing

June 03, 2022 10:24 - 5 minutes - 5.15 MB

What is genome sequencing and how does it help us track diseases? Why do countries need to continue genome sequencing in this phase of the pandemic? WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan explains in Science in 5 .

COVID-19: Vaccines and children

May 13, 2022 02:00 - 6 minutes - 6.04 MB

What is WHO’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines for children? What does the evidence tell us about safety of these vaccines for children? If you live in a country where this vaccine is not available to children, how can you keep your child safe from COVID-19? WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan explains in Science in 5.

Episodes