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What in the World
How do heatwaves affect your mental health?
What in the World
Jul 31, 2023

Temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded in China and the US and the UN chief says the era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived”.

When it’s extremely hot, there are more hospital admissions and more deaths. But one thing that isn’t talked about as much is how the heat affects your mental health. So, in this episode we’re asking: What in the World happens to your mental health in extreme heat?

Hannah Gelbart is joined by BBC reporters Kelly Ng and Sofia Bettiza, and also Dr Dominic Canova from New York City.

Plus, the BBC’s Mimi Fawaz explains how Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina has made history by becoming the first football player to wear a hijab at a World Cup.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6

Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

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But President Trump says it is run by “radical lunatics” and he and billionaire Elon Musk, who’s got the job of trying to slash American government spending, want to shut it down. They have paused almost all international spending for 90 days and issued “stop work” orders to their staff. BBC journalist Nathalia Jimenez tells us what USAID does - and why the Trump administration wants to close it.

A large proportion of USAID funding goes towards healthcare and HIV medication in sub-Saharan Africa. Makuochi Okafor, the BBC’s Africa Health correspondent tells us what impact closing USAID could have in this region.

Anselm Gibbs, a BBC reporter based in Trinidad and Tobago, tells us about programmes USAID funds in the Caribbean. And Hilde Deman from Search for Common Ground, an international NGO that uses USAID funding in countries affected by violent conflict, talks about the impact to their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Rosanna La Falce


13min 08sec




How do heatwaves affect your mental health?

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