Science in 5
Science in 5 is WHO's conversations in science. Listen to WHO experts explaining science related to COVID-19.
Episodes
Polio: 99.9% Defeated. What Will It Take to End It for Good?
Polio once paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children every year, striking fear into families across the world. Thanks to global vaccination efforts, cases have fallen by 99.9% since 1988. But polio is not gone yet. In this episode of Science in 5, we speak with Dr. Jamal Ahmad about why polio eradication still matters, how close the world truly is to ending this disease forever, and what's at
Pig Tapeworm – from gut to brain
A worm that can cause epilepsy? Meet Taenia solium — the pig tapeworm that travels from gut to brain, causing seizures and preventable epilepsy in millions. In this episode of Science in 5, Dr Bernadette Abela explains how this parasite spreads when pigs eat human feces and humans consume contaminated food or water — and what we can do to stop it. Learn how cooking meat properly, improving hygiene
Little lungs, big risks: The RSV threat to infants
Did you know that RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations worldwide? Each year it claims over 100 000 young lives. In this Science in 5 episode, WHO's Dr Daniel Feikin shares how new immunization options can protect your baby.
The Race to Stop Cholera Before It's Too Late
Did you know cholera still kills thousands every year — and outbreaks are rising, even in countries that hadn't seen it in decades? Dr. Kate Alberti is here to tell us how this deadly disease can be preventable and treatable. Learn what you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your community.
Drowning: A silent public health threat
Did you know that drowning is a leading causes of death among children aged 1-4 years globally and that someone loses their life to drowning every two minutes? Please watch Science in 5 with our expert Dr Caroline Lukaszyk as we discuss this most under-recognized public health threat.
Air pollution damages young brains
Did you know that the air you breathe can harm your brain, and increase your risk for dementia, anxiety and depression ? Nine out of 10 people around the world breathe air that does not meet WHO's recommended air quality standards. Air pollution kills 7 million people every year. What are cities like London, Bogotá and Beijing doing to clean their air? Dr Maria Neira explains in Science in 5.
The Gift of Blood -- Why It Matters
Did you know that you can save three lives in just ten minutes with the gift of your blood? What do countries need to do to have safe blood donation systems ? WHO's Dr Yuyun Maryuningsih explains all you need to know to donate blood in Science in 5.
The tobacco trap – hooked by lies
The tobacco industry continues to sell death and destruction by using flavors, packaging and advertising. Is there any "safe" product or consumption method? How does tobacco use harm your body? Join us today in conversation with Simone St. Claire on Science in 5.
The tobacco trap – hooked by lies
The tobacco industry continues to sell death and destruction by using flavors, packaging and advertising. Is there any "safe" product or consumption method? How does tobacco use harm your body? Join us today in conversation with Simone St. Claire on Science in 5.
Vaccine safety explained: What the science actually says
Are vaccines safe? What's actually in them? In this 2-part episode of Science in 5, WHO's Dr. Kate O'Brien breaks down how vaccines are tested, approved, and monitored even after they reach the public. She also explains what happens if a safety concern is flagged.
Vaccines: Science vs. scare
Should kids just "get the disease" instead of being vaccinated? Can vaccines really overwhelm a child's immune system? Who decides what vaccines we get—and why? If you're a new parent with questions about vaccines, you're not alone. In this 2-part episode of Science in 5, WHO's Dr. Kate O'Brien breaks down the science behind childhood vaccinations, the importance of the schedule, and the truth beh
Healthy births, saving mothers
What does a mother need to know to ensure that she has a safe pregnancy and delivery? What are some warning signs to watch for? And what are a woman's rights while going through a pregnancy and delivery? Join our maternal health expert Dr Femi Oladapo on Science in 5.
Facing the TB crisis
Severe resource shortages are threatening the global response to end tuberculosis. Is the world on the brink of a global TB crisis? A quarter of the world's population could be infected with TB and not even know it. Is there a cure? What is the treatment? How do we diagnose TB? Listen in to Dr Tereza Kasaeva on Science in 5 today.
Disease be gone!
Did you know that diseases are being eliminated by countries all over the world. In the last five years alone, 44 eliminations have been confirmed by WHO. What does it take to eliminate a disease? What needs to happen before WHO can certify an elimination? Once eliminated, can these diseases come back? Dr Jérôme Salomon explains on Science in 5.
Measles: A growing threat
Did you know that if a child with measles walks into a classroom, every unvaccinated child will most certainly get it? Why are measles cases increasing worldwide? Why should you be concerned about it? And is the measles vaccine safe and effective? Dr Natash Crowcroft explains on Science in 5.
From Alerts to action - How WHO protects your health
Did you know that WHO receives over a 100,000 signals every month? What are these health signals or threats? How do scientists and WHO decide which one of these signals could be a potential outbreak or disease? Tune in to Science in 5 with Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu to learn how WHO protects your health every day.
Flu season is here – are you ready? How flu vaccines are made?
How do we track the Influenza virus every season to decide what strains of the virus to include in a vaccine? Is the vaccine safe and when should you get vaccinated? Shoshanna Goldin explains in Science in 5.
Syphilis: Protect yourself and others Silent symptoms, serious risks: Syphilis explained
Why are syphilis cases rising? Who is at risk and how does it spread? Learn about prevention of syphilis from Dr Teodora Elvira Wi in Science in 5.
Is COPD making you breathless and tired?
If you are experiencing breathlessness and fatigue and are exposed to polluted air you could have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Dr Sarah Rylance explains the symptoms, treatment and prevention of COPD. Find out if you are more susceptible to COPD in Science in 5.
Concussion – symptoms and prevention
If you have children who play sports or if you play sports, you need to know about concussion. What is it? How will you know if you have a concussion? What can you do to prevent it? Dr Tarun Dua explains in Science in 5 today.
Breast Cancer – know your risk
Did you know that both men and women can get breast cancer? It is the most common type of cancer amongst women, and most breast cancers are self-detected. Our expert Dr Mary Nyangasi explains in Science in 5 today.
Rabies: Protect yourself and your pets
What is rabies? How serious is it? How can you prevent rabies? Dr Bernadette Abela explains this and what you can do immediately after a bite in Science in 5 today.
Snakebites: Life saving facts
Did you know that one person dies every four minutes from snakebite? What should you do if you get bitten? Dr David Williams talks about prevention and treatment in Science in 5
mpox - what you need to know
WHO has declared the current mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. How is this outbreak different from previous ones and why did it trigger a Public Health Emergency? What does that mean for countries and for you? Who is at risk? And what about vaccines? Our expert today is Dr Abdou Salam Gueye, from WHO Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo.
Asthma and you
Millions of people live with asthma and yet many of them don't know it. It is one of the most common conditions amongst children. Unfortunately it is also often undiagnosed and under-treated. How would you know if you have asthma? What are the treatments? What are some of the triggers and how can you manage your asthma? Here to help us know more about this chronic condition is Dr Sarah Rylance.
Dementia
Is Dementia a normal part of ageing? Someone suffers from dementia every three seconds. What are the causes? Can we prevent it? Is there a cure? Dr Katrin Seeher explains in Science in 5.
Hypertension
Why is hypertension called a silent killer ? What happens in your body when your blood pressure is high? Learn about the 4 "S"s to protect yourself from hypertension. Dr Taskeen Khan explains today in Science in 5.
Social Isolation
Did you know that social isolation or loneliness could increase your risk of early death by up to 32%? How would you know if you are socially isolated and how does it impact your health? Alana Officer explains and gives tips to overcome social isolation in Science in 5 this week.
UV Radiation
Did you know that putting on your sunglasses is one of the ways to protect your eyes from cataract ? Learn about ways to protect yourself from UV radiation from Dr Cornelia Baldermann, Scientific Senior Consultant, at the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection. Dr Baldermann explains where UV radiation comes from and how it impact our health in Science in 5.
Avian Influenza
Why is WHO concerned about Avian Influenza or Bird Flu? Who is at risk? How can you protect yourself and which foods are safe to eat during an outbreak ? Dr Wenqing Zhang explains in Science in 5.
Low back pain
Did you know that chronic low back pain is a major cause of disability across the world impacting people's physical capabilities, sleep, participation in work, school and relationships? What kind of treatment should you ask for? Which treatments do not work? Learn to manage your low back pain from Dr Yuka Sumi in Science in 5
Is green, healthy transport possible?
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 c
Dengue Fever
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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?
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?
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?
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
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
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
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
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?
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?
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
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
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?
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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 Scientis
Minimize infection at health care facilities
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Upcoming new vaccines
What are the new vaccines in the pipeline? What are the challenges to turning vaccines into vaccination ? What timelines can we expect for future vaccines? WHO's Dr Katherine O'Brien explains in Science in 5
COVID 19 : Tracking variants
How does WHO track variants for SARS CoV 2 , the virus that causes COVID-19? what are the challenges on the ground? What are variants WHO is tracking at this time? WHO's Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.
Update on Long COVID
What have we learned about the symptoms of Long COVID or Post COVID-19 condition so far? How long does it last, when should you worry, and what treatments are recommended? WHO's Dr Janet Diaz explains in Science in 5.
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