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Episode details

World Service,18 May 2011,18 mins

11/05/2011

Health Check

Available for over a year

Could plans to abolish the Ministry of Health in Pakistan put the campaign to eradicate polio at risk? One influential health policy adviser in Islamabad fears it could. Although Dr Sania Nishta, from the health think tank Heartfile, believes that devolving the delivery of healthcare locally is a positive move, wholesale removal of a centralised role for health information could cause chaos if there was another outbreak of Avian Flu. There’s some tips on successful ageing from octogenarian and distinguished biologist Lewis Wolpert, in his book “You’re Looking Very Well - the surprising nature of getting old…”. He ponders on research which reveals that death isn’t genetically programmed into us – and fears the memory loss experienced by those who develop dementia. And there’s news on how the largest donkey farm in Europe is providing help for infants with allergies.

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