Sun. Oct 6th, 2024

HEALTH

LATEST NEWS

Protecting workers against lead and diisocyanates: EU Council signs off on new limit values

Workers are now better protected. For the first time in 40 years, the EU has revisited the limit values for occupational exposure to lead and its inorganic compounds, by reducing them fivefold. These reprotoxic substances can affect sexual function and fertility, and they may also damage the nervous system, among other things. In addition, the directive is the first-ever EU legislation to set limit values for diiosocyanates, a group of

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26/02/2024

Dr Pamela Rendi-Wagner nominated new Director of ECDC

Each Management Board member had one vote, and the candidate required support from two-thirds of all voting members. The Board members cast their vote by secret ballot. The Management Board of ECDC is composed of one member designated by each Member State, two members designated by the European Parliament, and three members representing the European Commission, all with a right to vote. Before her appointment, Dr Pamela Rendi-Wagner will be

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21/02/2024

Medical devices: EU Council endorses new measures to help prevent shortages

Around two thirds of all clinical decisions are based on information provided by IVDs, which include tests for HIV, cancer, pregnancy and COVID-19. In 2017, new rules were introduced to modernise and update the EU framework for these products, guaranteeing their safety and effectiveness.
The far-reaching nature of these changes led to an increased need for scientific, technical and regulatory expertise and capacity, which take time to develop. As

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21/02/2024

Mercury: Deal with EU Council to phase out the use of dental amalgam

The revision of the Mercury Regulation aims to establish a mercury-free Europe to protect EU citizens and the environment from toxic mercury. On Thursday, negotiators from the Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement on the Commission’s proposal to address the remaining uses of mercury in products in the EU in line with commitments set out in the EU’s Zero Pollution Ambition.

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08/02/2024

MEPs adopt new rules to limit exposure to harmful substances at the workplace

In the EU, approximately 50 000 to 150 000 workers are exposed to lead and 4.2 million workers to diisocyanates every year. The new law, already agreed with member states and adopted today with 589 votes in favour, 10 votes against and by 40 abstentions, will protect workers’ health more effectively by lowering exposure limits for these substances.
Both substances are widely used to renovate buildings and to produce

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07/02/2024

Sweden: A fast-paced year of work against antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

A high-level meeting on work against microbial resistance will be held at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2024. Preparations for of this meeting began in 2023, and Ms Grape met with colleagues from around the world to discuss priorities for it. She has met with representatives of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US

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05/02/2024

Sweden: Let us stop the next pandemic today – before it’s too late

Opinion piece, Euractiv, 1 February 2024, by Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission, Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, European Commission, Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Sweden, Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Sweden, Caroline Gennez, Minister of Development Cooperation and of Major Cities, Belgium and Frank Vandenbroucke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs

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02/02/2024

Vaccine-preventable cancers: EU Commission dossier on new measures

The Recommendation is part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, a key pillar of the European Health Union. It is estimated that about 40% of cancer cases in the EU are preventable. However, according to a new report published today, only around 5% of total health spending was dedicated to prevention in the EU Member States in 2021.

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31/01/2024

EU Commission authorises and renews GMOs for food and animal feed

Today, the European Commission authorised the use of a genetically modified maize, and renewed the authorisation of two genetically modified oilseed rapes, as food and animal feed. These authorisations follow the EU’s comprehensive and stringent food safety procedures, which ensure a high level of protection of human, animal and environmental health. They are based on a favourable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which concluded that these

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27/01/2024

EU Commission: Competition enforcement drives affordable medicine innovation

The European Commission has published a report providing an overview of the enforcement of EU antitrust and merger rules by the Commission and the national competition authorities (‘NCAs’) in the pharmaceutical sector between 2018 and 2022. Today’s report shows that active enforcement of antitrust and merger rules continues to play an important role in delivering European patients’ access to a wider choice of affordable and innovative medicines. In particular, it

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26/01/2024

TSI supports reforms to improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing among children and young people are a growing concern in Europe. This is why, today, the Commission has launched a two-year multi-country project to support four Member States undertake reforms to improve the provision of mental health and wellbeing support to this target group. With this Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project, the Commission in collaboration with UNICEF will work with the authorities of Cyprus, Slovenia, Italy

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24/01/2024

Switzerland: Wide support from employers for continuing education and training in 2021

In 2021, 49% of employed persons aged 25 to 64 in Switzerland took part in at least one continuing education and training course for professional purposes. Of these people, 93% received support from their employer, either in terms of time allocated during working hours or funding. This support was mainly influenced by factors relating to the professional context, such as work-time percentage, number of years’ service in the company or

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23/01/2024

EU Commission proposes measures to improve the availability of in vitro diagnostics

Today, the European Commission is proposing more time for companies to apply the In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR), under certain conditions. With this revision, the Commission aims to ensure patient care by improving the availability of these essential healthcare products. The Commission is also proposing measures to enhance transparency in the Medical Device sector including by speeding up the launch of some elements of the European Database on

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23/01/2024

IAEA: Breakthrough radiotherapy cuts head and neck cancer treatment times in half

More people with head and neck cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may be able to access radiotherapy, after research carried out by the IAEA showed that fewer but higher doses of radiation treatment resulted in similar clinical outcomes to standard radiotherapy treatments. Reducing overall treatment times for this type of cancer could help countries to shorten waitlists, enabling more patients to receive timely treatment while also reducing the

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22/01/2024

EU Commission approves €1.46bn Czech State aid to prevent the poultry and pig diseases

Czechia notified the Commission of its plans to adopt two schemes with a total budget of around €1.46 billion (CZK 35 billion) to support farmers in preventing the spread of certain poultry and pig diseases and adopting biosecurity measures. In particular, the schemes aim to prevent the spread of: (i) avian influenza, salmonella and poultry campylobacteriosis, and (ii) porcine brucellosis, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, and salmonellosis.

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17/01/2024
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