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In this month’s programme, we examine how the Ebola emergency has led to new forms of humanitarian response. One is the use of music to educate people about safety practices using simple language. We interviewed Carlos Chirinos, a visiting professor at New York University, United States, where he specialises in radio and development. He says that local West African communities tend to trust musicians more than doctors as sources of information, making them powerful allies when spreading public health messages. We learn how biobanks, which store biological samples, are helping Africa foster local research capacity and what challenges the collection and management of genetic material present. Shivaji Pandey, a special advisor to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, shares his views on the organisation’s 2014 report on food insecurity. It highlights significant progress towards the global eradication of hunger, but points to remaining political challenges. We also find out about ‘flying donkeys’: cargo