The Lancet Voice

How safe is it to use period tracking and digital contraception apps? Who is your data being shared with? What regulation actually exists in this area to protect app users?Femtech offers women digital tools for tracking reproductive health. Gavin and Jessamy are joined by Dr. Catriona McMillan, Senior Research Fellow in Medical Law and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh, to talk about how accurate these apps actually are, significant concerns about data privacy, and what regulatory oversight exists and can be applied.Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Richard, Jessamy, and Gavin reflect on developments at the 78th World Health Assembly, including the passage of the pandemic agreement and shifting dynamics in global health leadership. What's next for WHO without US engagement? How has WHA changed over the years?We also address the importance of recommitting to adolescent health following our new Commission, and discuss a controversial recent study about the pace of scientific innovation.You can read the second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health & Wellbeing here:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00503-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_lancetadolescenthealth25_lancetThis is the paper on the pace of scientific innovation discussed on the podcast:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01548-4Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Gavin, Richard, and Jessamy return to the studio to discuss some publications that caught their eye this month, and in doing so set themselves the lofty goal of examining how meaning, purpose, optimism, and social context shape our understanding of health beyond traditional clinical measures. We also ponder the future of research and higher education in the face of funding challenges in both the US and the UK.Articles mentioned in this episode:The Global Flourishing Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-025-00423-5The second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00503-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_May_25_lancetStanding up for gender justice: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00679-8/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_May_25_lancetHow the United States became a science superpower: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01146-4Universities grip financial crisis – but at what cost to the nation?: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/creating-voice-our-members/media-releases/universities-grip-financial-crisis-whatSend us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Gavin and Jessamy welcome Dr. Hugh Alderwick from the Health Foundation to The Lancet Voice as we explore the impact of the Labour government's health policies since coming to power in the UK. What might the anticipated 10-year plan for the NHS look like? What are the implications of dismantling NHS England? Will any government get a handle on social care?Hugh also provides expert analysis on the balance between funding and reform, the role of AI in health care, and the pressing issue of improving access to primary care.Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Gavin and Jessamy welcome back Oksana Pyzik of UCL to talk about the significant impacts of Trump's actions on health infrastructure in Ukraine and broader Europe.Oksana provides a comprehensive update on the current health situation in Ukraine, the challenges faced by healthcare systems amidst ongoing conflict, and the repercussions of halted aid on crucial programs like HIV and TB. We also explore the response of international institutions responsible for coordinated efforts to address pressing health issues and discuss what a tariff schedule might mean for the pharmaceutical industry.Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Gavin, Richard, and Jessamy reunite for another bonus episode, covering the first three months or so of health in the US under Trump. What do the appointments tell us about the administration's agenda? How can institutions stand up to cuts and intimidation? We also look at gender justice in global health as laid out by the excellent new Commission in The Lancet, and highlight that the world's impressive gains on maternal and newborn mortality are slowing - what more needs to be done?You can read "Achieving gender justice for global health equity: the Lancet Commission on gender and global health" here:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00488-X/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_lancetgenderhealth25_lancetSend us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Following the discovery of H5N1 influenza of avian origin in a sheep in the UK this week, Gavin is joined by Dr. Abraar Karan of Stanford University to discuss the current state of bird flu in the US, its impact on public health, and the potential for human-to-human transmission. Dr. Karan analyses the ongoing outbreaks and infections in the US, the challenges in detecting and controlling the virus, and the lessons learned from COVID-19.We chat about the complexities of viral evolution, the importance of robust testing and surveillance, the critical need for coordinated efforts to prevent a potential epidemic, and how bird flu might end.Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Content warning: discussions of sexual assault, violence, and rapeHow does society handle sexual assault? What are the health implications for victims and for populations? Did the Pelicot case change attitudes and what can we do to address stigma? Gavin is joined by Professor Betsy Stanko OBE and Professor Katrin Hohl OBE, who together worked on the London Metropolitan Police's Operation Soteria to change how the police deal with sexual assault cases. In this episode, we explore the global burden of sexual violence, its profound impact on women's health, the systemic challenges in addressing the hidden dimensions of sexual violence, the difficulties in measuring its prevalence, and the critical need for a trauma-informed and holistic approach in both healthcare and criminal justice systems.Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Gavin is joined by Heather Wardle, Professor of Gambling Research and Policy at the University of Glasgow, and the lead commissioner on The Lancet Public Health’s Commission on Gambling, to discuss the rapid expansion of the global gambling industry and its profound public health implications. We chat online gambling, technological advancements, and increasing accessibility, and how they are transforming the gambling landscape, leading to widespread health harms.You can read the Commission here:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00167-1/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_lanpubgambling24Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Donald Trump has taken office in the US and immediately turned his attention to dismantling the US position as a world leader in global health. How will actions taken so far affect the health of people around the world? Gavin is joined by co-host Miriam Sabin, North American Executive Editor at The Lancet, and they speak to Dr. Gavin Yamey, lead author of The Lancet's recent Commission on Investing in Health, and Director of the Center for Policy Impact in Global Health at the Duke Global Health Institute.Send us your feedback!Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetCheck out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv