In this episode of In Conversation With, Larissa Otero, senior editor of The Lancet Regional Health Europe, speaks with Professor Christoph Lange (Research Center Borstel, Germany; TB Net) and Professor Liga Kuksa (Latvia's national centre for tuberculosis and lung diseases) about their June 2026 study on long-term outcomes after multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in Latvia. They trace Latvia's path from European MDR TB hotspot, with more than 300 cases a year in the late 1990s, to just 22 cases last year, achieved through centralised expertise, sustained political commitment, and strong surveillance.

Their retrospective national cohort also reveals a striking gap: under WHO definitions, fewer than 5% of patients were classified as cured, yet 77% achieved relapse-free survival on long-term follow-up, raising urgent questions about how treatment success should be defined. The conversation closes with new antimicrobial stewardship standards for TB and why political instability, including the war in Ukraine, still shapes Europe's epidemic.

Click here to read the full article at thelancet.com:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(26)00088-8/fulltext

In this episode, Deputy Editor Ivana Nedic speaks with Prof Jeffrey Lazarus, Chair of a new The Lancet Regional Health – Europe Series on chronic liver disease, and Dr Elisa Pose, one of the Series co-chairs, about why chronic liver disease must be treated as a major public health priority in Europe.

The discussion explores the burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, steatotic liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and viral hepatitis, and considers how earlier detection, integrated models of care, and stronger policy action could help reduce preventable liver disease across the region.

Click here to read the full series:

www.thelancet.com/series-do/chronic-liver-disease

In this episode, Senior Editor Anna Johnson is joined by Jacob Bodilsen to discuss different clinical phenotypes of community-acquired bacterial meningitis and the heterogeneity that exists. They also discuss the implications this has for clinical care.

Click here to read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(26)00040-2/fulltext

Content warning: This conversation is about self-harm and suicide and may be distressing for some listeners. If you or someone you know is affected by these issues, please visit https://findahelpline.com/ a global database of support lines associated with the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

How effective are psychosocial interventions for self-harm and do they work differently for men and women? In this episode Evgenia Koutsouki, Senior Editor at The Lancet Group discusses with our guests new evidence on sex differences in outcomes and the challenges of engaging men in mental health support. We also hear a lived experience perspective, offering insight into how support can be made more accessible and meaningful.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(26)00018-9/fulltext

In this episode, Deputy Editor Ivana Nedic is joined by Dr Emiliano Calvo to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of systemic cancer therapies. Ahead of the upcoming Series in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, they explore its four key pillars: next-generation antibody-based therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, oncolytic viruses and cancer vaccines, and emerging cell therapies for solid tumours. The conversation examines the scientific advances driving these approaches, the challenges of toxicity management and equitable access across Europe, and how these innovative modalities may be sequenced and combined in the years ahead to reshape cancer care.

Join Senior Editor Stephanie Becker in an insightful conversation with Santiago Madero as they explore the evolving perspectives on psychedelic treatments, the latest developments in regulatory frameworks, and advances in psychedelic research.

This episode delves into the complex debates surrounding the therapeutic potential and experiential aspects of psychedelic treatments, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for their safe and effective implementation and regulation.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00329-1/fulltext

In this anniversary episode, Editor-in-Chief Pooja Jha is joined by Deputy Editor Ivana Nedic and Senior Editor Stephanie Becker to mark five years of The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. Together, they reflect on key milestones from the journal’s first five years, look ahead to priorities for 2026, including new Series and collaborations, and discuss highlights from the January issue. Tune in for a conversation on how the journal has evolved, what lies ahead for regional health research in Europe, and the editorial thinking shaping the year to come.

The lancet Regional Health – Europe

What are the risks of a future surge in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases?

Join Senior Editor Stephanie Becker as she sits down with Professor Simon Mead to discuss the history of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic, what updated estimates for future vCJD cases mean for public health policy, and advances in biomarkers and treatments.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00294-7/fulltext