In 2020, the Flemish Government launched the ‘round table conversations’ with the aim to create an action plan to replace, reduce and refine (3Rs Principle[1]) animal experiments in dialogue with the sector. So far, 20 organisations have committed themselves to take concrete actions to contribute to this goal.
Food contact materials (FCM) are materials and items specifically designed to come into contact with food during its production, processing, storage, preparation or serving. FCM can be constructed from a wide variety of materials like plastics, rubber, paper and board, metals and alloys, ceramics, but also the printing inks and adhesives used on the outside of the packaging.
Sciensano organises each year a scientific seminar about “Diagnostic and surveillance of infectious diseases”.
The seminar provides an up-to-date overview of various topics concerning infectious diseases such as surveillance, prevention, treatment and management of epidemics, at national and international level. It is aimed at any healthcare provider with an interest in infectious diseases: microbiologists, infectious disease specialists, hygienists, laboratory technicians, epidemiologists, public health personnel …
Households invited to participate in the survey can find more information on the Health Interview Survey webpage.
COVID-19 vaccination has been demonstrated to be an effective public health prevention tool during the crisis. COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to lower the risk of developing severe COVID-19 infections and of dying due to COVID-19.
Sciensano and the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp (ITM) are closely monitoring the presence of exotic mosquitoes in Belgium through the MEMO+ project. The project actively monitors several highway parkings, so called ‘points of entry’, where tiger mosquitoes potentially enter the country through traffic.
Through this new Symposium “Health challenges of the 21st century”, Sciensano aims to highlight different areas of its research, and encourage you to interact with us.
The themes selected for this first edition are:
Do you know everything there is to know about mosquitoes? Or are the buzzing insects rather unknown territory for you? Sciensano launches a survey to get a better view of the current knowledge and perception of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne viruses among the Belgian population and of what people do to avoid mosquito bites. All adults living in Belgium can fill in the online survey until the end of October. The results will be used to better inform citizens about mosquitoes, health risks and preventive actions.
Belgium has a rich health information landscape, with valuable information from administrative sources (e.g., health care use, mortality and causes of death, social security) as well as population health surveys and surveillance systems. The Sciensano service Lifestyle and chronic diseases plays a central role in the Belgian health information system. The Service generates and valorises health information to quantify the state of health and health inequalities in Belgium and to support public health policy making.
The mental health impact of the COVID-19 crisis is a major public health concern. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 has placed unprecedented strains on society. Known risk factors for poor mental health heightened (e.g., insecurity, unemployment), whereas protective factors (e.g., social connections, daily routine) declined drastically.
