The challenges of thalidomide-related disabilities and age

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The survivors from the generation of children born suffering the effects of thalidomide – limb deformities, sight and hearing problems, internal damage and more – are still living with the impact. And now, to add to the challenges they’ve faced for decades, they’re getting older. Health Check's Matthew Kenyon reports from an international conference of thalidomide survivors in the Netherlands. Also, a series of papers published in The Lancet argues that men’s poor health and premature death globally are not driven by biology alone, but by the environments in which they live and work - yet men’s health receives little attention in policy. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota to discuss. Claudia and Camilla also look into a study from Iceland which found that schoolwide mobile phone bans were not associated with meaningful changes in adolescent mental health or related social and behavioural outcomes. And they discuss newly trialled custom socks that stiffen your foot, which scientists believe could make walking more efficient. And we hear from Professor Fiona Wood from the burns service of Western Australia, who pioneered the development of spray on skin that helped to treat Bali bombing victims in 2002. She's received one of the Royal Society’s most prestigious awards – the Royal Medal. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Image Credit: The Association of Thalidomide Victims North Rhine-Westphalia e.V.