Did you know that disposable nappies account for approximately 400,000 tonnes of waste each year, representing 2-3% of household waste? Period products don't fare much better with one study indicating 200,000 tonnes of waste annually and then there's also adult incontinence products - we’re looking at 3 billion waste products annually for that. These are staggering numbers and ones we just aren't aware of.

In this episode we speak to Elze Porte and Ayse Allison who are working to reduce waste with absorbent hygiene products - that's things like nappies, period products and adult incontinence products. Hear how they're working with manufacturers, users and waste management systems to make sure we’re not adding to the landfill.

Transcription link:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/reduce-reuse-recycle-nappies-and-period-products-edition

Date of episode recording: 2024-07-18T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:25:29
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Elze Porte; Ayse Allison
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

In this episode, we speak to Chloe He, Postgraduate researcher at UCL, who educates us on fertility treatments. We cover the 50-50 split between male and female infertility factors, the rising rates of infertility (now affecting one in six people), and the worrying impact of pollution on male fertility. The conversation also touches on the challenges of accessing fertility services, including the frustrating "postcode lottery" in the UK. Chloe breaks down the IVF process—from ovarian stimulation to embryo selection—and unpacks the ethical dilemmas around pre-implantation genetic testing. Plus, we discuss the unique barriers the transgender community faces in fertility care. So, yes, we cover a lot in 33 minutes!

Transcription link:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/engineering-solutions-infertility

Date of episode recording: 2024-06-10T00:00:00Z
Duration: 33:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Chloe He
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

In this episode, we speak to Stephen Morris, VaxHub's Senior Outreach and Partnerships Manager, and Ludovica Vaiarelli, VaxHub's Partners Relationship Manager, to learn a bit more about how vaccines are manufactured and distributed worldwide. We'll hear how the process works, and how we're working with partner Universities like Oxford, along with manufacturers and industry, to ensure we create the next vaccine as quickly as possible. During the conversation, we cover notable projects that the VaxHub has worked on plus how antimicrobial resistance (so from things like antibiotics in poultry) is affecting global initiatives in vaccine production.

Transcription link:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/making-next-global-vaccine

Date of episode recording: 2024-10-08T00:00:00Z
Duration: 37:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Stephen Morris; Ludovica Vaiarelli
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford