During the last heatwave, almost 400 more deaths were reported than was expected on overage for that period. The additional deaths mainly concerned persons aged 75 years and older.

The health of the Dutch population is broadly in line with that of our neighbours.

RIVM and partner organisations from England, Germany and Belgium have developed a method to assess the risks of gene drives in laboratories.

On Thursday, June 28th, our departing director-general André van der Zande received a Royal decoration from the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, Hugo de Jonge.

General practitioners in the Netherlands are prescribing antibiotics less frequently. No drop has been observed in hospitals.

Most cytostatics (medication for chemotherapy), tumor specific immunotherapy and hormone therapy don’t harm plants and animals in surface water.

The vaccination rate for vaccines included in the National Immunisation Programme has dropped slightly by about 1 percent.

The number of people who have been tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) went up in 2017. This is the case both at the Sexual Health Centres and at the General Practitioner.

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.

We have launched the RIVM newsletter. We would like to keep you informed about the developments in public health and the environment in the Netherlands and our institute.