News in Health and the Environment

The prospects for future public health in the Netherlands are good. Our life expectancy is steadily increasing, and most people feel healthy and do not experience activity limitations. Nevertheless, we face some major future challenges. Those are some conclusions of the Public Health Foresight study.  Read more

Raymond Cointe, DG of INERIS and Hans Brug, DG of RIVM, signed a Framework Agreement for closer cooperation in November 2018. RIVM has been working with the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks on various themes for years. Read more

The past two weeks a team from RIVM has been taking measurements and samples at various locations around the landfill in Philipsburg. The landfill is constantly smouldering, but there have been no outbreaks of fires during the presence of  RIVM. Read more

The Netherlands is determined in the fight against infectious diseases. This year, the Netherlands chairs the GHSA Steering Committee. In this role, our country will further develop the activities of the eight GHSA focus areas: Biosafety and Biosecurity, Immunisation, Surveillance, Emergency Operations Centres, National Laboratory Systems, Workforce Development, Antimicrobial Resistance and Zoonotic Disease. RIVM will also play a role in this. Read more

Research by RIVM shows that the participants in the so-called tROM project in Tilburg, their supervisors and other people involved may have been exposed to chromium-6. They were engaged in removing old paint layers from trains which contained chromium-6. This may have had adverse effects on their health, also on the long-term. Read more

WHO Collaborating Centre Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology and Surveillance and WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition were re-designated by WHO. The first Centre supports WHO with the implementation of the upcoming Global Action Plan on AMR and the European Strategic Action Plan on Antibiotic Resistance. The second Centre supports WHO on nutrition, physical activity and obesity, through research and scientific publications, development of methodologies and training courses. More information

RIVM welcomed the DG of ANCSEP Tunisia, Mr Mechichi on 11 and 12 December 2018. Tunisia's National Agency of Sanitary and Environmental Control of Products visited RIVM for the completion of a twinning project regarding the effects of environmental pollution on health. Read more

For the very first time, the monitor of the bowel cancer screening programme showed that the programme is able to detect bowel cancers more successfully than anticipated. Participation numbers in the first, and follow-up, screening rounds also remained good. Read more

According to definitive figures from RIVM / Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and Statistics Netherlands (CBS), there was no decrease in emissions of the most important greenhouse gas CO2 in 2017, compared to 1990. Read more

Theme of the annual State of Zoonotic Diseases report is an integrated approach of zoonoses: the One Health approach. The central idea of One Health is that different disciplines must collaborate to signal, assess and control zoonotic infections. This collaboration is necessary because humans, animals and the environment are interconnected and influence each other. Read more