The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) is a knowledge and research Instituted edicated to promoting public health and a healthy and safe living environment. The core tasks of RIVM, performed in a national and international context, support government policy.

Tasks

• policy support
• national coordination
• prevention and intervention programmes
• provision of information to professionals and the general
• public
• knowledge development and research
• support for inspectorates

RIVM is responsible for providing impartial and reliable information to members of the public and professionals who work in the fields of health care, medication, the environment, and nutrition and safety. Our objective is to make optimum use of scientific knowledge and expertise and to make it accessible.

We conduct risk assessments, develop models and methodologies, and participate in numerous national and international committees. We are the official research facility for the ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport and Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the Netherlands, and serve the Inspectorate for Public Health and the Inspectorate of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment. We also work for the ministries of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality; Transport, Public Works and Water Management, and for the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA).

Our multidisciplinary teams support policy-makers by assessing current developments and estimating trends. Our tools include sophisticated models and monitoring networks, as well as state-of-the-art diagnostic and surveillance tools.

As a recognised centre of expertise we co-operate with other research institutions to:

• carry out leading-edge research in environment, nutrition and public health 
• process information for risk assessment
• monitor infectious diseases and other threats to public health.

Being an autonomous institute allows us to deliver impartial information. Scientific supervision, certification, accreditation, reviews and regular audits ensure delivery of reliable research results meeting international quality standards.

It is with pleasure that we present you with our Annual Science Report for 2008. The current Science appendix lists all RIVM releases published over the course of 2008. With a total of 722 scientific publications over 2008, up from 654 in 2007.

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