More than 3% of adults (aged 26+) reported having persistent long-term symptoms after an infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, sometimes lasting several years. This is also known as post-COVID or Long COVID. About 5% of young people aged 12–25 years are experiencing these symptoms.

In 2023, 16% of people in the Netherlands aged 20 and over were classified as obese (with a Body Mass Index (BMI(Body Mass Index)) of 30 or above) – more than three times as much as in 1981, the first year of record.

Consuming food supplements or tea that contain the herbs Huperzia serrata, Tabernanthe iboga or Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) can be harmful to health. RIVM has identified the risks of these herbs and advises consumers, and especially pregnant women, against using products that contain them.

The nitrogen and nature measures that the government has implemented since 2021 are expected to make a positive contribution to the future quality of nature. The average exceedance of the critical loads for nitrogen deposition will decrease by a third up to 2030.

RIVM has developed a method to assess the extent to which mixtures of Substances of Very High Concern harm the environment. Environmental services and other permit issuers can use the method and the maps to determine whether they should issue a permit.

The number of newborn babies in the Netherlands who are seriously ill due to whooping cough has been increasingly rapidly in recent weeks. About 110 confirmed cases of whooping cough are now being diagnosed every week among children in the Netherlands, including nearly 20 infants.

This week saw the start of babies being vaccinated against the rotavirus. This vaccination is included in the Dutch National Immunisation Programme as of this year. All parents of babies born on or after 1 January 2024 will receive an invitation for this.

Plant protection products are used to protect crops against disease and pests. These products may only be used if they have no adverse effect on humans and the environment. To ensure this, they are tested and assessed extensively. New plant protection products are currently being developed on the basis of double-stranded RNA.

More patients with pneumonia visited their GP from August 2023 on than in previous years. The rise in cases of pneumonia among children, adolescents and young adults aged 5–25 years is particularly notable.

Hydrogen is a sustainable energy source that could play an important role in the energy transition. Hydrogen can be transported and stored using liquid hydrogen carriers. As highlighted in a study performed by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), these chemicals can be – or can form – Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC, in Dutch ‘ZZS’).