Pneumonia is more prevalent among people living in areas with a high density of livestock farms in the Netherlands. The risk of pneumonia is higher if people live within 2000 metres of a goat farm. Bacteria may offer an explanation for these pneumonia cases.

In 2023, more people in the Netherlands contracted a disease which is vaccinated against in the context of the National Immunisation Programme (RVP) than in 2022. This is because coronavirus measures, such as physical distancing, were still in effect for part of 2022.

Many women aged 30 to 34 years postpone taking part in population screening for cervical cancer. Only 3 in 10 women take action within 12 weeks of the invitation. This trend is concerning, since this is the group in which human papillomavirus (HPV) is most common.

Only half of young adults rate their mental health as good. This emerges from the Public Health Monitor Young Adults2024, a large-scale survey conducted among over 135,000 16-to-25-year-olds in the Netherlands.

Implementing an integrated approach to improve health in the workplace does not immediately result in employees leading healthier lifestyles. Greater attention and prioritisation from management appear to be necessary for any health effects to become visible.

In 2023, the air quality along roads met European nitrogen standards everywhere. With regard to particulate matter, there were seven locations along roads and near livestock farms that did not meet the standards. Even at amounts below the current standards, air pollution may still cause health effects.

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has explored the developments likely to have the greatest impact on palliative care in 2050.

What happens in the blood of post-COVID patients? And can the presence of specific substances in the bloodstream assist in better diagnosis and treatment of post-COVID? To gain a better understanding of these topics, RIVM is launching a study on bio...

The demand for care will continue to grow over the coming decades. This will require difficult choices in the care sector, for example with regard to including certain treatments or medicines in the basic health insurance package.