26/10/2009

Available for over a year

People who experience the seasonal winds, such as the Foehn and the Santa Ana, often say they get migraines, become depressed or develop breathing difficulties. There’s even some evidence that suicide attempts rise in some places. But why should the change in weather brought about by these winds make us feel ill? Claudia Hammond discusses this question with weather forecaster Wayne Elliot of the UK’s Meteorological Office and John Bart, the founder of the Canadian Medical Meteorological Network. A new report from the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the World Bank has found that the number of children dying before they are even five years old has dropped to less than ten million for the first time – and part of this is down to vaccines. But India and Indonesia, two countries which produce and export vaccines, have lower rates of immunisation in their own countries. Dr Fred Were from the Kenyan Paediatric Association talks to Claudia about the report. It’s 200 years since Louis Braille was born. The method of embossed letters he developed so that blind people can read is very much in use today all over the world. London eye surgeon Professor William Ayliffe told Claudia about Braille's remarkable discovery and its importance today, and the BBC’s Gary O'Donoghue, who is blind, explains how he uses Braille in his job as a political correspondent.