Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment ( or simply RIVM), is a Dutch
research institute that is an independent agency of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
RIVM performs tasks to promote public health
and a safe living environment
by conducting research and collecting knowledge worldwide. The results are used to support the Dutch government in formulating its policy. RIVM's primary tasks are:
RIVM is located in Bilthoven and employs over 1400 people, many of whom work in multidisciplinary fields.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
research institute that is an independent agency of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
RIVM performs tasks to promote public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and a safe living environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
by conducting research and collecting knowledge worldwide. The results are used to support the Dutch government in formulating its policy. RIVM's primary tasks are:
- research
- policy support
- national coordination
- intervention programmes
- provision of reliable information to the general public and to professionals working in health care, infectious diseases, the environment, nutrition and safety.
RIVM is located in Bilthoven and employs over 1400 people, many of whom work in multidisciplinary fields.
History
RIVM was founded in 1910 when the Central Laboratory for Public Health was created and the present size of the institute is the result of a merger between three government institutes in 1984. RIVM has now become a large, complex organization with many different international links and a range of activities.Organization
In addition to the usual administrative sections (facilities management, finance, human resources, and communications), RIVM has four major technical divisions and/or centres each of which has a number of subsidiary divisions, centres and/or laboratories:- Centre for Infectious Disease Control
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control
- National Coordination Centre for Outbreak Management
- Diagnostic Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Screening
- Laboratory for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- Microbiological Laboratory for Health Protection
- Public Health and Health Services Division
- Youth Health Centre
- Centre for National Screening Programmes
- Expertise Centre for Methodology and Information Services
- Centre for Public Health Forecasting
- Centre for Prevention and Health Services Research
- Nutrition, Medicines and Consumer Safety Division
- Laboratory for Food and Residue Analyses
- Centre for Biological Medicines and Medical Technology
- Centre for Nutrition and Health
- Centre for Quality of Chemical-Pharmaceutical Products
- Centre for Substances and Integrated Risk Assessment
- Laboratory for Toxicology, Pathology and Genetics
- Environment and Safety Division
- Advisory Service for the Inspectorate, Environment and Health
- Centre for External Safety
- Laboratory for Ecological Risk Assessment
- Laboratory for Radiation Research
- Laboratory for Environmental Monitoring
- Centre for Environmental Health Research
- Expertise Centre for Substances
- National Poisons Information Centre
See also
- KNMI (institute)
- Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyNetherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyThe Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency is a Dutch research institute that advises the Dutch government on environmental policy and regional planning issues. The research fields include sustainable development, energy and climate change, biodiversity, transport, land use, and air quality...
- National public health institutesNational public health institutesNational public health institutes are science-based governmental organizations that serve as a focal point for a country's public health efforts, as well as a critical component of global disease prevention and response systems...