Heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases are the biggest killer in the world, causing 18 million deaths globally every year. Cardiologists and heart surgeons try to manage heart disease with stents, surgery and drugs, but the organ itself does not heal. Finding a way to regenerate heart tissue has become a holy grail for medicine. Now there is new hope from a strange and pioneering technique from Austria. Doctors there believe that applying shockwaves directly to the heart after surgery dramatically improves patient outcomes. The shockwaves – which are sonic pressure waves, rather than electric shocks – lead to new growth of blood vessels and trick the body’s immune system into action. The BBC’s global health correspondent Naomi Grimley travels to Innsbruck to see the treatment in action. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines and Gareth Jones Editor: Penny Murphy Email: [email protected] Image: Heart surgery

From crops that grow faster to rice that could stop children going blind - the world is full of genetically modified products waiting to come onto the market. Genetic modification techniques in plants have huge problem-solving potential, but are often clouded in controversy. Most scientists say GM food is safe, yet some consumers and environmental campaigners remain unconvinced. This week we look at the potential, and the controversy, in this futuristic field. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy Email: [email protected] Image: Illustration of a strand of DNA (Getty Images)

In Bangladesh, there’s an app helping female farmers to get a fairer price for their crop. At the market, women farmers often face sexism, and struggle to sell their produce for what it’s worth. But by making the seller anonymous, they’re able to sell more and reap the profit they deserve. We’ll also hear from other projects around the world trying to bridge the gender gap in agriculture- and investigate how supporting female farmers doesn’t just help with reducing inequality – it can also help fight poverty, hunger and climate change. Also on the programme - a remote control for cows and goats which lets farmers control them with virtual fences on their phone. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producers: Craig Langran and Zoe Gelber Reporter: Salman Saeed Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peop[email protected] Image: A female farmer in Bangladesh

The fast growth of solar power is a success story in the fight against climate change. However, in some countries progress is being stymied by opposition to large solar farms in the countryside. But enterprising people are trying to keep the solar momentum going, by finding less obvious places where we can harness energy from the sun - like lakes, farms, car parks, office windows and even outer space. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: William Kremer Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy email: peoplefix[email protected] Image: Floating solar (Credit: Ocean Sun)

How can we stop plastic flowing into our oceans? Dutch inventors have one solution, pulling plastic from the water using a ‘net’ made from bubbles. Also on the programme - how sound could be used to help restore coral reefs in Australia. Scientists found playing the sounds of a healthy reef under water, could attract fish back to the site. They hope to combine this with coral seeding to rebuild reefs teeming with life. And our last solution keeps with the water theme - looking at a hand-cranked washing machine that makes laundry quicker and easier for some of the poorest women in society. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Claire Bates Producer/Reporter: Richard Kenny Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy email: [email protected] Image: Philip Ehrhorn (BBC)