From 1 June 2022, heel prick test also screens for muscle disease SMA, bringing number of screened diseases to 26 From 1 June 2022, the heel prick test for Dutch newborns will also screen for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMA is a serious hereditary muscle condition. Detecting this disease at an early stage enables early treatment.
Tailor-made information will help immigrants make decisions on taking part in screening programmes Immigrants are relatively less likely to take part in preventive screening programmes, such as cancer screening. This is partly due to the language barrier and a lack of knowledge, according to a doctoral thesis by Nora Hamdiui.
Number of tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands increased slightly in 2021 compared to 2020 The number of people with tuberculosis (TB) in the Netherlands increased slightly in 2021, reaching 680. This figure is 9% higher than it was in 2020 (622 patients).
RIVM to play greater role in tuberculosis control The Committee for Practical Tuberculosis Control (CPT) will be transferred per 1 January 2022 to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) after a period of 70 years with KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation.
Breast cancer screening resumes on Bonaire after COVID-19 hiatus Women aged 50 to 75 years on Bonaire can participate in the breast cancer screening programme again as of Wednesday, May 26, 2021. This was temporarily halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Largest drop in number of tuberculosis cases in the Netherlands in fifty years Last year, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the Netherlands fell sharply. The 17% drop is the largest in fifty years. In 2020, 623 cases were notified compared to 754 in 2019.
A decrease in the number of tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands In 2019, the number of people with tuberculosis (TB) in the Netherlands decreased to 759. This is 5 per cent less than in 2018, when 797 were reported.
Population screening programmes temporarily on hold Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the health care capacity in the Netherlands is expected to come under severe pressure in the coming period.
Slightly fewer adult smokers In 2018, 22.4 per cent of the Dutch adult population indicated they were occasional smokers.
Slightly more tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands The key figures of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) show that in 2018 there were 806 TB patients in the Netherlands. This is 3 percent more than in 2017 (784).