RIVM Newsletter

Much has happened in 2019. With societal issues such as the side-effects from breast implants and the PFAS and nitrogen problems in the Netherlands, RIVM was truly at the heart of society. The nitrogen deposition problem is illustrative of how society is changing. Social groups demand ultimate transparency from our organisation. We have set new strategic priorities for the next five years. In line with our mission and core tasks we will be focusing particular attention on four strategic priorities:

1. RIVM plays a relevant role at the heart of Dutch society
2. RIVM is prepared for the questions asked today and tomorrow
3. RIVM works from local to international
4. RIVM is shaped by people Read more

The main picture of this newsletter shows the building progress of our new building at Utrecht Science Park. 

Nitrogen and PFAS became big societal issues in the Netherlands in 2019.We present a summary of previously published RIVM news regarding the nitrogen and PFAS problem in 2019. Read more

From 16 December 2019, pregnant women in the Netherlands will be offered the 22-week vaccination. With this vaccination, a pregnant woman protects her child and herself against whooping cough. The 22-week vaccination is free of charge and is offered by the National Immunisation Programme. Read more

Since the 1970s, European policies to improve air quality have resulted in fewer emissions in many countries. As a direct result, levels of ambient concentrations of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide have decreased. RIVM research shows that without European policies the concentrations of air pollutants would have been considerably higher while the average life expectancy in the Netherlands would have been six years shorter. Read more 

Two Dutch doctors working in a hospital in Sierra Leone were infected with the Lassa virus. The first patient was treated in strict isolation at the LUMC Leiden University Medical Center. He passed away on 23 November. The second doctor was treated in the Major Incident Hospital. She recovered and was released from hospital after 2.5 weeks admission. Read more

It is beneficial for public health in the Netherlands if we set the standard time, also referred to as winter time, throughout the year. In this time setting, the sun rises earlier, and this is more in line with the human biorhythm.This is the conclusion of RIVM’s international literature review of the effect of time settings on the various aspects of sleep and health. Read more 

An RIVM study has revealed that adding sugars and humectants to cigarettes leads to higher emissions of a number of toxic substances in cigarette smoke. RIVM investigated 50 commercial cigarette brands. The study was published in the scientific journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Read more

RIVM published a new edition of the Dutch food composition database (NEVO). This 2019 edition contains nutrient data for over 2150 food items. Values for 133 components (proteins, fats, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals) are available. Read more

RIVM’s Cost of Illness Study revealed that 25.1 billion euros were spent on the treatment of mental and behavioural disorders in the Netherlands in 2017. This is almost a third of the total Dutch health care expenditure (87.8 billion euros), which is paid by both the government and citizens. It includes cases of dementia and people with intellectual disabilities. The second biggest category of health care expenditure was care for cardiovascular diseases, which costs 10.2 billion euros. Read more

The focus of our annual report State of Zoonotic Diseases 2018 is prevention, with the emphasis on the production chains of foods of animal origin. Food-borne bacteria caused the most infections in people in 2018, as in previous years. Prevention is, therefore critical. Read more

RIVM identified a cluster  of 20 patients diagnosed with listeria over the past 2 years who are most likely to  have been infected with an identical strain. This strain was found in a meat slicing factory. The strains found in the patients with a listeria infection were examined by a new technique that characterises the whole genome (Whole genome sequencing). Read more