Series

Premature babies are being kept alive in rural Bangladesh with kangaroo mother care. This means holding babies close to their mother’s chest, just like baby kangaroos in their mother’s pouch. The main...

Eclampsia is a major cause of maternal death in the developing world but it can be prevented if detected early. Jhpiego, a US health organisation has developed a “marker pen” to be...

In the last 10 years the proportion of people with high blood pressure in China has almost doubled – from 10 to over 18% of the population. A key contributing factor is...

Tackling bacterial diseases requires rapid, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment with antibiotics. But many countries lack the skills and experience needed. The Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam has developed a special camera which...

Medical students at Imperial College, London, are doing anatomy training with a giant touch screen computer and a 3D scan of the human body. The Anatomage table allows students to view the...

Surgical training is a long and complex process and is especially difficult in poorer countries. Professor Kneebone of Imperial College has come up with a low-cost, portable, simulated operating theatre developed to...

  Each year, 250,000 people die as a result of asthma, but many of these deaths could be prevented. Studies have indicated a correlation between the onset of asthmatic episodes and a...

At least sixty percent of all emerging infectious diseases start their life in animals. These zoonotic diseases, as they are known, are a particular problem in Asia. Two French organisations are monitoring illnesses in...

The rolling hills of Burera District in Rwanda provide the picturesque background for an innovative new hospital. Built in local stone by local people, the hospital has high ceilings, large fans and...

  Biologists at the University of Edinburgh are investigating how parasitic worms could offer a cure for modern maladies. Countries that have largely eliminated parasites are now seeing a rise in allergies and...