Smallpox is a pathogen specific to our species and it has wreaked havoc with human populations over the centuries. Ultimately it gave rise to what we now think of as immunisation and vaccine technology and is the only disease we have ever eradicated.

In this episode we explore this epic history of the Variola virus with Professor Gareth Williams, hear from Dr Celine Gounder, who sought out and interviewed the last survivor of smallpox in the wild, and confront a still controversial predicament: should all remaining live samples of the smallpox virus be destroyed? with Professor David Heymann.

Featured guests:

Prof. Gareth Williams, author of ‘Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox’ - on the history of smallpox https://thesohoagency.co.uk/authors/gareth-williams/

Dr. Celine Gounder on Rahima Braha the last survivor of smallpox in the wild https://www.celinegounder.com/

Professor David Heymann on the eradication of wild smallpox and the argument for retaining live virus samples for research https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/heymann.david

African nations have a painful and particular relationship with HIV, they have also been at the forefront of the fight against the disease. In this episode, we explore the battle against HIV from their perspective, how a post-colonial legacy combined with complex societal factors provided fertile ground for the spread of the disease. We then follow how Africa dealt with the spread of HIV through the 20th century, to the eventual global escalation that forced international coordinated efforts to battle the epidemic.

Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Professor Salim Abdool Karim tell us about their groundbreaking work examining the impact of sociological behaviours on transmission and world renowned HIV expert, Linda-Gail Bekker, explores the latest developments in treatment options.

Guests featured:

- Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Professor Salim Abdool Karim on their celebrated research on vulnerable populations and critical interventions https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/09/30/g-s1-25433/hiv-prevention-lasker-prize-aids

Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker on African researchers' role in the development of Lenacapavir and its promise for the Africans moving forward https://idm.uct.ac.za/contacts/linda-gail-bekker

Tuberculosis is often assumed to be a disease of the past, but it kills over 1 million people a year - a higher rate than malaria and HIV combined.

In this episode we visit a forgotten and critical turning point in vaccine development. 'The Black Angels' were a group of black nurses who faced almost certain death to perform the world’s very first clinical trials using the drug that would become the gold standard for TB treatment today. They helped cure tuberculosis in New York City's Sea View Hospital during the mid-20th century.

We talk to New Yorker Maria Smilios about how she happened upon the tale of this incredible group of nurses in 2016. Astounded by the story from the City’s Sea View Hospital, and the incredible pioneers that changed the trajectory of the fight against tuberculosis, she knew she had to tell it to the world.

When the pandemic hit half way through writing her book, Maria realised that many of the themes in her book around inequity and disease were alive and well in present day New York. She decided she needed to write a book about it before it was too late. Maria tells us the story of these incredible pioneers who faced racial adversity, braving almost certain death to perform the world’s very first clinical trials using the drug that would become the gold standard for TB treatment today.

Seema and Maria discuss the future, the challenges of distributing and treating TB worldwide and the hope there is for the future with gains already made in campaigning and the triumphant power of people working together.

Feature guest:

- Maria Smilios - Science writer and author on her book ‘The Black Angels’ revisiting a forgotten passage in the fight against TB and what this story can teach us today.

https://www.mariasmilios.com/