HORIZONS Returns to BBC World News with Bill and Melinda Gates Tonight

Horizons returns to BBC World News tonight, October 3 with an exclusive interview with two of the world's biggest philanthropists, Bill and Melinda Gates. Horizons scours the globe to find new technologies and innovations that could revolutionise the way we live. In this series Adam meets the scientists who have invented plants that can grow human vaccines, tests the power of bionic limbs, and discovers the paper microscope.

In this episode we see how the Gates Foundation is investing billions of dollars every year in scientific research to help improve the lives of millions. In their interview with presenter Adam Shaw, Bill and Melinda Gates talk about their first experiences in Africa, working together and why they're optimistic about winning the battle against poverty and disease.

Speaking to the programme Bill Gates said: "We really have to be able to see the amazing progress that we're making and see what we did right, and double down on those things, so that we make even more rapid progress."

Adam also steps inside a purpose built mosquito lab at Seattle Biomed, one of only four places in the world capable of testing malaria vaccines on humans. One child dies every 43 seconds as a result of malaria in Africa, but Adam learns that Biomed now have a vaccine for malaria that is beginning to show promising results.

Also in the programme, reporter Uche Okoronkwo travels to South AFRICA to meet Ernst Hertzog the creator of the Thula Baba Box, a project aimed at reducing the high infant mortality rate in the country. Hertzog said: "The things that kill babies are very preventable and in South AFRICA that is also the case. It doesn't take a lot of money or necessarily that much effort, it's just empowering parents and communities."

The Thula Baba Box is based on boxes distributed by the government in Finland for the last 75 years, which provide new mothers with essential goods to give new-borns the best possible start in life.

Hertzog continues: "We thought wow, this is an amazing idea and for many years it has worked well in Finland, so why can't we do, or have something like this for South Africa."

A pilot project is now underway, with 100 boxes being distributed to clinics in the Western Cape over the next two years, with the aim to expand to the rest of the country by 2020.

Horizons Episode 9 Gates, Money and Science will be broadcast on BBC World News on Friday, October 3 at 9:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 4 at 10:30 pm ET and Sunday, October 5 at 4:30 pm ET.

The Horizons series, sponsored by DuPont, airs weekly on Saturdays at 01.30 and 08.30, Sundays at 14.30 and 20.30 (all times GMT). For programme highlights and an insight into the future of Science and technological innovations visit bbc.com/horizonsbusiness.

For all the latest news, behind-the-scenes pictures/videos and updates from Adam Shaw please follow at facebook.com/horizonsTVseries and on twitter at @horizonsbiz. For access to video content, as well as extended interviews and video diaries from Adam Shaw the Horizons app is now available to download on iOS and Android for free.

BBC World News and bbc.com/news, the BBC's commercially funded international 24-hour news and information platforms, are owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd, a member of the BBC's commercial group of companies. BBC World News is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 380 million households and 1.8 million hotel rooms. The channel's content is also available on 178 cruise ships, 53 airlines and 23 mobile phone networks. For further information on how to receive BBC World News, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbc.com/tvschedule. bbc.com is one of the most respected brands on the internet and the global news content on the site offers up-to-the minute international news and in-depth analysis for PCs, tablets and mobile devices to 76 million unique users each month.

UPCOMING EPISODES OF "HORIZONS" (BBC WORLD NEWS):

9. GATES: MONEY AND SCIENCE: IMPROVING LIVES - 3 October
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft has a vision for how Science and technology can be employed around the world in order to reduce the global burden of disease, promote education and slash poverty. Bill and his wife Melinda talk to Horizons about innovations in healthcare, vaccines and nutritional solutions.

10. BIONIC BODIES - 10 October
The exploding pace of advancements in computing, biotechnology and nanotechnology will give engineers the ability to make bionic bodies. Advancements in prosthetics are accelerating and brain-computer interfaces are now more sophisticated. We will increasingly rely on devices that enhance human perception, movement and sensation. We look at next generation prosthetics for hands and legs, bionic eyes and meet some of the people now using these technologies.

11. CONNNECTED CITIES - 17 October
Urbanisation is the defining trend of the 21st Century. The rate and extent of this trend, especially in Asia and AFRICA is unprecedented in human history. The scale of city building needed within the next few decades is going to be extraordinarily challenging. We will have to future-proof our urban space, harness the latest technology and wired infrastructure, as well as adapt our older cities and be smarter about how we monitor aspects of city life. We head to the connected city of Songdo in South Korea and speak to the Executive Vice President of Cisco, Wim Elfrink in San Francisco.

12. FRONTIER SEAS - 24 October
Around the world, mankind is exploring ways we can utilise the oceans - they cover roughly 70 percent of the Earth's surface. The focus on finding solutions offshore, rather than on dry land has grown enormously over the last few years. From floating neighbourhoods and aqua-architecture to cutting edge technology that harnesses the power generated by wind and wave energy - our oceans hold a lot of potential. We head to the Netherlands, South Korea and the U.S. to find out how we can better exploit our watery world.

13. MEDICINE: DIAGNOSTICS & DELIVERY - October 31
As life expectancy increases, so does the number of people on the planet. This will continue to challenge the ability of healthcare systems to make affordable treatment available to everyone. Medicine needs to adapt. We look at new micro-needles, plants that can grow human vaccines and dissolvable bone screws.

14. FOOD TECHNOLOGY - 7 November
Healthier, more nutritious and cheaper food, which doesn't ruin the environment, is essential with more of us on the planet. Many scientists argue that our current production, storage and distribution systems mean we consume too much energy, too few nutrients and too many animal products. But the food and agriculture industry is not standing still. In this show we feature egg substitutes, new biscuits for the under-nourished and new fridge technology in India.

15. COST CONSCIOUS Science - 14 November
There is a lot we can learn from technology in the developing world. When there are significant constraints on resources - from money to energy, time and know-how -it spurs innovation. Small-scale entrepreneurs are increasingly making cheap and ingenious discoveries that will improve the lives of many. It's called frugal innovation and it is spreading. We look at microscopes that sell for 50 U.S. cents, and talk to the world's leading expert in Reverse Innovation Vijay Govindarajan.

16. THE BRAIN - 28 November
We still know surprisingly little about the human brain other than it is the most complex structure in the known universe. Solving the mysteries of its structure will be one of the biggest scientific projects of the 21st Century. The 86 billion nerve cell question is -- will we ever understand this three-pound bag of cells and chemical transmitters that forms 100 trillion connections? We look at the brain-machine interface more closely, scientists growing brains in a laboratory and research into understanding the causes of Alzheimer's.

Don't Miss a TV News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...