News | RIVM

RIVM European Reference Lab for vector-borne infections

The European Commission (EC) has designated RIVM as the current European Reference Lab (EURL) for vector-borne viral pathogens.

RIVM benoemd tot Europees referentielab (EURL) voor vector-overdraagbare virale infecties

Menno de Jong appointed director of RIVM Centre for Infectious Disease Control

Starting 1 May 2024, Professor Menno de Jong will take on the role of director of RIVM’s Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb) . He succeeds Jaap van Dissel, who is retiring in April 2024.

Number of tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands increased in 2023 compared to 2022

In 2023, 710 people in the Netherlands were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). This was 12 per cent more than in 2022, when there were 634. In 2023, 471 patients had pulmonary TB. Of these 417 patients, 213 had open TB – the most contagious type.

In 2023 more Dutch people play sports on a weekly basis

In 2023, 56% of the Dutch population aged four and over played sports at least once a week. This figure marks an increase from 53% in 2022. Notably, the percentage of individuals with physical disabilities who played sports weekly saw a significant rise, from 23% to 29%.

Number of Combined Lifestyle Intervention participants more than doubles in one year

The number of participants that has started the Combined Lifestyle Intervention (CLI) has more than doubled over the course of a single year. Nationwide, over 82,000 people have now started the CLI. According to RIVM’s annual report, most of the participants achieve a good outcome.

Adherence to Physical Activity Guidelines particularly low among young adults

The number of people in the Netherlands aged four and over who meet the Physical Activity Guidelines has fallen since 2020. In 2022, 44.3% of the population was sufficiently physically active.

Number of tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands decreased slightly in 2022 compared to 2021

The number of people with tuberculosis (TB) in the Netherlands decreased slightly in 2022. In 2022, there were 635 TB patients in the Netherlands. This is six per cent fewer than in 2021, when there were 673 patients.

Less than half of Dutch people met the Physical Activity Guidelines in 2021

In 2021, 47% of people aged four years and older in the Netherlands got the amount of physical activity recommended by the Physical Activity Guidelines. Children aged 4 to 11 years were most likely to meet the standard. Conversely, young people between the ages of 12 and 17 fell short. This is the outcome of a study conducted by RIVM.

People working from home more likely to have health problems

People who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to have physical complaints than people working on location (location workers). Examples included upper back pain, lower back pain, and pain in arms, neck and/or shoulders. These findings are from RIVM research.

Annual report ‘Tuberculosis in the Netherlands’ for 2021: slight increase in number of TB patients

In 2021, the number of tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Netherlands rose slightly compared to the preceding year: up to 680 TB patients from 622 in 2020. However, the 2021 number was lower than the number for 2019 (754 patients).