logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
39m 47s

Babbage: How do you solve a problem like...

The Economist
About this episode

Squashing malaria could, over the next three decades, save as many lives as covid-19 has taken. We explore new ways to fight infections: from the introduction of the first malaria vaccines, to genetically modified mosquitoes. What would it take to vanquish one of the world’s deadliest diseases? Alok Jha hosts.


For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Dune raider: Saudi is a video-game superpower
Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, is a huge video-game fan. Now his hobby is becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry for the kingdom, which is acquiring some of the world’s biggest gaming firms. How Finnish icebreakers became a focus for polar power politics. And ... Show More
19m 57s
Yesterday
Finally, a deal: the fragile peace in Gaza
Donald Trump has brokered an agreement between Israel’s government and Hamas. It’s a momentous breakthrough. Our correspondent analyses what comes next. We launch “The Economist Insider”, our new TV show for subscribers, where senior editors debate the news. And, do red-light mas ... Show More
23m 25s
Oct 8
Liberté, égalité, désordre: chaos in France
France’s newly-appointed prime minister has resigned only weeks into the job. Now President Emmanual Macron has given him 48 hours to come up with a plan for next year’s budget. Can Macron survive the turmoil? As driverless taxis take over San Francisco, what will happen to the h ... Show More
21m 3s
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
Babbage: Bill Gates's plan to prevent the next pandemic
New diseases are inevitable, but pandemics are not. As the threat from covid-19 recedes, how can the world stop new pathogens from becoming health emergencies? Business leader and philanthropist Bill Gates has long warned of the risk that a novel virus would go global. He tells G ... Show More
33m 40s
Oct 2023
Is climate change making you ill?
Climate change is taking a toll on our health! Extreme weather events are leading to deaths and injuries. They are also exposing us to new illnesses and worsening existing ones.  If we fail to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°Celcius, there is a risk of approximately 15,000 n ... Show More
22m 47s
Oct 2023
The Mosquitoes Are Winning
For decades, the world seemed to be winning the war against mosquitoes and tamping down the deadly diseases they carried. But in the past few years, progress has not only stalled, it has reversed.Stephanie Nolen, who covers global health for The Times, explains how the mosquito h ... Show More
30m 12s
Oct 2021
Could this new malaria vaccine save millions of lives?
With close to half a million deaths from Malaria in 2019 --most in Sub-Saharan Africa-- scientists have spent decades working toward a vaccine, and last week, the World Health Organization approved the first. But, with only 30 to 40 percent efficacy some are also asking, is it wo ... Show More
20m 57s
Apr 2024
The Intelligence: Dengue’s grip on Latin America
The dengue-fever case counts now break regional records every year—and the structural reasons behind the spike suggest this sometimes-deadly virus will soon threaten more of the world. Breaches and security holes keep revealing how much of the internet’s innards are maintained by ... Show More
22m 55s
Sep 2023
What will it take for Africa to combat malaria?
In today’s podcast, Alan Kasujja sits down with award-winning South African health practitioner professor Lucille Blumberg. She explains why she thinks she was recognized for her efforts in fighting malaria. She also tells our presenter why thousands of people across the African ... Show More
15m 9s
Oct 2023
Dengue fever: What is it and why is it spreading?
The World Health Organization has warned that mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever are spreading to new regions. One reason is that warmer temperatures are allowing disease-carrying mosquitos to push into new areas. And wetter monsoons are giving them more time to reproduce ... Show More
14m 53s
Jan 2024
The Intelligence: Gaza’s ever-graver crisis
A tentative aid deal in Gaza is just a sliver of what is needed; hunger and disease may well claim more Palestinian lives this year than the military campaign will. New research suggests American places worst-hit by the opioid epidemic are undergoing a rightward political shift ( ... Show More
23m 46s