The tiger mosquito, an invasive species with the potential to transmit viruses, is making significant strides in Belgium. In 2023 the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp and Sciensano found the species in twice as many location compared to 2022. This is a concerning rise. The citizen science platform MuggenSurveillance.be plays an important role in this, and recorded positive reports for the first time in Brussels and Wallonia.
A new four-year project called the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI) was launched in Rome on 27 November 2023. This initiative, engaging ministries, public health bodies, non-governmental organizations, and universities, aims to assist European Union (EU) member states in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, and associated risk factors, both at the individual and societal levels. Sciensano will coordinate the Belgian participation in JACARDI.
The workshop was part of the UNITED4Surveillance project, which focuses on strengthening infectious disease surveillance. The consortium consists of 42 partners from more than 20 countries in the European Union. The project focuses in particular on the important link between the health of people, animals and the environment, also known as the One Health concept.
Sciensano will integrate the COVID-19 reporting into the Acute respiratory infections bulletin from the week of 24 July 2023. This bulletin is published every Wednesday afternoon.
Belgium has the ambition to drastically reduce tobacco use among the population by 2040 and achieve that no young person starts using tobacco (tobacco-free generation). New projections from Sciensano indicate that actions are needed to achieve those targets.
A group of top scientists from across Europe have advised the European Commission on how to transform European food consumption to become healthier and more sustainable. Sciensano researcher Stefanie Vandevijvere also contributed to the report, which was handed over to Commissioner M. Vestager.
The MEMO+ project (Monitoring of Exotic Mosquitoes in Belgium) by Sciensano and ITM closely monitors the presence of exotic mosquitoes in Belgium, including eight highway car parks where exotic mosquitoes can enter the country via passenger cars and truck traffic.
BEST-COST, which holds its kick-off meeting today, is a new Horizon Europe research project that aims to improve our understanding of the socioeconomic cost of environmental stressors in Europe. It will focus on air and noise pollution and their impact on health equity and wellbeing. The 4-year project is led by Sciensano, and brings together a consortium of 17 partners from 10 European countries and the United States.
Between Christmas and New Year, Sciensano won’t publish epidemiological updates on COVID-19. As from January, the reporting frequency on the COVID-19 situation will also change.
Cancer is a leading cause of death in Europe, and its prevalence is set to increase with an ageing population. Cancer is an individual diagnosis that has a significant impact on patients, but it also severely affects the lives of their families and friends. In addition, cancer also has a huge economic impact. Reducing cancer and its consequences therefore is a key priority for the European Commission (EC), which has recently presented “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan”.
