Production on our malaria vaccine podcast is in full swing, and we wanted to share a few updates. We knew this was a big story when we started, but none of us imagined how sprawling it would turn out to be. We’ve learned about so many unexpected logistical challenges; it kind of blows our minds that these rollouts ever happen at all.
Over the past month we’ve exchanged voice notes with a 12-year-old school health club champion, unearthed a vaccine song, met researchers working on a program to allocate different coloured bracelets to signify patient’s dosage stages, learned about a hospital boat outside Freetown, and had more than our fair share of comical miscommunications and steep learning curves.
As our senior producer, Marcus Costello says, “What’s interesting about documentary making like this, is that through the process of learning and meeting people, you realise that the story needs to go in a different direction to the one you planned initially.”
So, we’ve been following the breadcrumbs and we're starting to get really excited about what we've already got in the can. The most exciting news is that we can now introduce you to our co-host for this series, Malawi-based journalist Teresa Chirwa-Ndanga, who we met through our friends at Deutsche Welle Akademie.
She's amazing - and she's going to play a big part in bringing this whole thing to life.
This week's top stories
Egypt eliminates malaria after 4,000 years
The WHO has certified Egypt, home to 100 million people, as malaria-free, marking a century since the country's initial efforts to eliminate the disease. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros poetically stated, 'Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future.' WHO
Viet Nam eliminates trachoma
Tedros again: 'This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication of Viet Nam’s health workers, including many working at community level. It underscores the power of collective action, innovative thinking and a shared commitment to a healthier future for all.' WHO
The Amazon has a new state park
The Giant Trees of the Amazon State Park in Pará will protect some of the oldest and most majestic trees in the Amazon rainforest. Spanning 5,600 km2, the park will protect a rare tropical forest which is home to angelim vermelho, the tallest tree species in the tropical Americas, reaching 88.5 metres. Andes Amazon Fund
US geologists unearth enormous treasure trove of lithium
At the beginning of this week, researchers at the United States Geological Survey announced they've found lithium in an underground brine reservoir in Arkansas. They estimate there might be up to 19 million tons—more than enough to meet all of the world’s demand. A reminder: the idea that lithium is some rare or exotic substance is pure oil industry propaganda. NYT 🎁
Youth crime is falling in Queensland, but politicians say it's going up
There's a state election happening in Queensland, Australia, and both major political parties have centred their election campaigns on supposed rising crime rates and the need for harsher penalties. In reality, Queensland's youth crime rate has halved over the past 14 years, reaching a record low in 2022-23. Similar declines have occurred across all Australian states. ABC
Scientists reach milestone in efforts to bring back Tasmanian tiger
Pure sci-fi. Colossal Biosciences says they've reconstructed 99.9% of the genome of the extinct thylacine, based on samples from a 110-year-old preserved head. They're now working with its closest living relative—a marsupial called the fat-tailed dunnart—as a way to bring the animal back. 'We are really pushing forward the frontier of de-extinction technologies.' CBS
White House welcomes largest recorded reduction in overdose deaths
According to preliminary CDC data, drug overdose deaths fell 12.7% in the year ending in May, with 41 states reporting declines. This marks the sixth consecutive month of decreases and the first time since early 2021 that estimated annual overdose deaths have dropped below 100,000. NBC
IEA says solar will become Earth's largest energy source by 2033
The IEA's World Energy Outlook predicts solar output will quadruple by 2033, overtaking coal to become the world’s largest energy resource. Its latest projections show that the world is now on track for 2.4ºC of warming (down from a projected 2.6ºC in 2021 and 3.5ºC in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was signed). Carbon Brief
Canada enables contraceptive care based on choice, not wallets
Canadian citizens currently pay for prescriptions through private, public, or out-of-pocket plans. Parliament has passed a bill to cover 100% of diabetes and contraception medication costs for both those without coverage and with out-of-pocket plans. An estimated nine million Canadian women will gain access to common contraceptives under the new plan. BBC
AI for lab tasks and understanding conception, X-rays, and sepsis
Austrian scientists have used AI to identify three proteins (not two, as previously thought) that lock sperm onto egg cells during fertilization; AI-driven systems are identifying broken bones in the UK and fighting sepsis in the US; and in Canada engineers have built a robot that can automate chemistry lab tasks using computer vision and voice recognition.
IUCN adds 12 new green-listed sites
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has welcomed 12 new sites to its Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, totalling 87 protected areas across 18 countries. The additions include sites in China, Colombia, France, Saudi Arabia, and Zambia, as well as a first for Brazil with the Soure Marine Extraction Area on Marajó Island, at the mouth of the Amazon River. IUCN
Hope Is A Verb
Meet Sonia Vallabh, a lawyer turned scientist with one of the most compelling stories we've ever heard. In 2011, Sonia was diagnosed with prion disease, a rare and fatal genetic illness with no viable treatment. Against all odds, Sonia and her husband retrained as a patient–scientists and set out to cure the disease before Sonia misses her window. 13 years later, they've found a way to shut off enough genetic signals to halt the disease - and potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives around the world.
