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Episode details

Radio 4,22 May 2025,27 mins

Does the pandemic agreement make the world safer?

BBC Inside Science

Available for over a year

The World Health Organisation has agreed a treaty looking at tackling the issue of future pandemics. It’s hoped it will help to avoid some of the disorganisation and competition for resources like vaccines and personal protective equipment that were seen during the Covid-19 outbreak. Victoria Gill speaks to global health journalist Andrew Green from the World Health Assembly in Geneva to ask if this will help to make the world a safer, fairer place. Marnie Chesterton visits Kew Gardens in London to speak to some of the artists and scientists behind a new installation that’s digitally recreated one of the site’s most famous trees. As it’s announced the iconic American children’s TV programme Sesame Street is moving to Netflix, Victoria speaks to the programme’s scientific advisor and Associate Professor of Elementary and Environmental Education at the University of Rhode Island, Sara Sweetman, about exactly how the likes of Elmo, Big Bird and the Cookie Monster go about informing young people about science. And Caroline Steel joins Victoria in the studio to look through the most fascinating highlights from the world’s scientific discoveries this week. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Jonathan Blackwell, Dan Welsh Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

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