Municipal Public Health Services once again conduct more STI consultations than before COVID-19 The number of STI consultations at the Sexual Health Centres of the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) was 19% higher in 2022 compared to 2021.
Darker cigarettes and other measures to make cigarettes less appealing There are a number of measures that can be implemented to make cigarettes less appealing and less addictive. For example, manufacturers could make cigarettes a darker colour. They could also stop using ingredients like sugars and flavourings.
Night shift workers more likely to have poor work-life balance People who work at night are more than 2.5 times more likely to have a poor work-life balance. They find it more difficult to combine their jobs and private lives than people who only work in daytime. This is one of the results of a study by RIVM and TNO.
Mpox vaccinations in 2022 More than 18 thousand people in the Netherlands have received one or more mpox vaccinations. The vaccination campaign was launched late last July, shortly after the outbreak began, and ended last month. Science Photo Library / ANP
RIVM and TNO describe impact of future developments on occupational health and safety RIVM and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) have investigated the potential impact of developments in the next 20 years on occupational health and safety. How will artificial intelligence affect safety at work? iStock
Key persons should be involved in policy for pandemics RIVM advises government authorities to involve ‘key persons’ in formulating policy for current and future pandemics. Results from RIVM research show that these individuals played a key role in ensuring an ongoing focus on social well-being and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the limitations.
Safe working practices: RIVM creates a list of 1,400 substances without a European occupational exposure limit for health purposes Employees sometimes come into contact with hazardous substances at work. RIVM has compiled a list of 1,400 hazardous substances for which the European Commission has not yet set an occupational exposure limit.
NS did not adequately protect employees from exposure to chromium (VI) Employees of Dutch Railways (NS) may have been exposed to chromium (VI) between 1970 and 2020. Although it is not known exactly how often or how much this occurred, it is reasonable to assume that NS employees who were exposed to chromium (VI) may develop certain medical conditions.
Incidence of infections that cause gastrointestinal symptoms on the rise again In 2021, the incidence of enteric infections – which mainly cause gastrointestinal symptoms – was higher than in 2020, but still lower than before the coronavirus pandemic. This is the outcome of a study into enteric infections and pathogens transmitted from animals to humans.
Vaccination campaign to end as number of monkeypox infections consistently low The current monkeypox outbreak is virtually over, and therefore the vaccination campaign to stop the spread of monkeypox, or ‘apenpokken’ in Dutch, will soon be coming to an end.