Tuareg tales and the R word

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In this week’s World in Words podcast, we hear about an initiative in Mali to preserve the Tamasheq language, spoken by a dwindling number of the nomadic Tuareg people. Also, a conversation about the literary merits of the King James Bible, which turns 400 in 2011. And, the R word: rationing. which among some Americans is R-rated when it comes to health care. But in Britain, rationing is part of the national psyche: it got the country through two world wars, and its collectivist values are at the core of Britain’s government-run health service. Download MP3

Foreign lessons in hospital efficiency

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Containing health-care costs is a key goal of reform efforts. The World’s Katy Clark reports on the work of Eugene Litvak, a Russian who works with US hospitals on ways to increase efficiency, improve patient care, and cut costs.

Health care and innovation

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The American health care system is expensive, but also highly innovative, providing new drugs and new technologies that benefit the entire world. Could U.S. health reform efforts suppress medical innovation? The World’s Marco Werman speaks with health policy researcher Zack Cooper of the London School of Economics. Download MP3

• BBC coverage of the health care debate
• Zack Cooper’s LSE profile