Health News in English

Amsterdam wants snack machines removed from tram and metro platforms, but GVB has final say

European Commission: Netherlands receives experimental hantavirus drug

The European Commission announced that the Netherlands will receive the first doses of Favipiravir, an experimental antiviral drug for treating hantavirus. While no treatment is currently approved, th...

Slight increase in sick leave and 10% more accidents at GVB last year

Amsterdam public transport operator GVB reported a 9% employee sickness rate and a 10% increase in traffic accidents in 2025, totaling 965 incidents. Despite operational challenges like staff shortage...

Foam block falls from 'great height' onto woman on Bloemgracht, taken to hospital

A woman was hospitalized after being struck by a foam block that fell from a significant height on the Bloemgracht in Amsterdam's Jordaan district on Monday morning. Witnesses reported seeing the obje...

Criticism of period tracking apps asking about unprotected sex and masturbation: ‘A lot of intimate information’

A study commissioned by Bits of Freedom highlights that menstrual cycle tracking apps collect highly intimate data, such as sexual activity and masturbation habits, often without users knowing how it ...

TikTok promises a ‘glow’, but dermatologists see something else: irritation, breakouts and bags full of products

Dermatologists Mila Poelhekken and Sebastiaan van der Bent are warning against skincare misinformation frequently found on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. They observe that incorrect usage of acn...

New sunscreen dispensers in Velsen: sun protection at seven locations

The municipality of Velsen has installed free sunscreen dispensers at seven locations, including beach entrances and parks, to help protect visitors from sun damage. This initiative provides easy acce...

Bits of Freedom files complaint with regulator over period-tracking app

The privacy organization Bits of Freedom has filed a formal complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority against the period tracking app Flo. The group alleges that the app violates user privacy...

Eight in ten patients experience side effects from radiation therapy

A survey of over 3,800 patients reveals that more than 80% of individuals receiving radiation therapy experience side effects, with fatigue being the most common complaint. While over half of the part...

June microchipping month: get your cat microchipped and registered for free

During the month of June, cat owners in Amsterdam can have their pets chipped and registered for free. This initiative aims to reduce the number of lost animals and ensure they can be returned to thei...

Emily in Paris actor Pierre Deny dies at 69

French actor Pierre Deny, best known for his role in the Netflix series 'Emily in Paris', has passed away at the age of 69. He died following a battle with the progressive neuromuscular disease ALS.

Researchers surprised: children's motor skills haven't declined despite increased screen time

A study by the Dutch Education Inspectorate shows that despite a significant increase in screen time over the last seven years, physical movement skills among eighth-grade students have remained stabl...

Help, my teen is going on a drinking holiday in Albufeira: do you pack condoms and SPF 50 in the suitcase?

Following the completion of school exams, many Dutch teenagers are heading to popular party destinations like Albufeira and Mallorca. Pedagogue Marina van der Wal provides tips for concerned parents o...

Pieterpad gets 500 km wheelchair-friendly version

A new 500-kilometer wheelchair-friendly variant of the Pieterpad hiking trail has been launched, making the famous route accessible to mobility scooters, walkers, and strollers. Starting Thursday, the...

More people addicted to online gambling and designer drugs

Data from the National Alcohol and Drugs Information System (LADIS) shows a growing number of people in the Netherlands are seeking help for addictions to online gambling and designer drugs. These fin...

Jill Biden: I thought Joe was having a stroke during Trump debate

Former First Lady Jill Biden revealed in a CBS News interview that she initially feared her husband, Joe Biden, was having a stroke during his 2024 debate against Donald Trump. The interview, which ad...

Four people taken to hospital after house fire in Hellevoetsluis

Four people were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation after a house fire broke out in Hellevoetsluis on Wednesday evening. Emergency services from the Rotterdam-Rijnmond safety region resp...

77-year-old woman missing from nursing home

A 77-year-old woman with dementia, Mrs. Visser, has gone missing after leaving her nursing home on an electric bicycle. She was last seen on Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Ceintuurbaan and ...

Matthew Perry's personal assistant sentenced to 41 months in ketamine case

Kenneth Iwamasa, the personal assistant to late actor Matthew Perry, was sentenced to 41 months in prison on Wednesday. He was convicted for illegally obtaining and administering ketamine to the Frien...

Pieter Jan Molendijk (69) long denied having cancer, now he is chairman of IPSO Huis Kennemerland

Pieter Jan Molendijk, a former businessman from Overveen, has been appointed as the chairman of IPSO Huis Kennemerland, an organization providing mental support for cancer patients. The organization i...

Permanent weight loss is difficult, but 8,500 steps a day help prevent the yo-yo effect

A new study suggests that walking 8,500 steps daily is key to preventing the yo-yo effect after weight loss. Research indicates that four out of five people typically regain lost weight within a few y...

Anna Nooshin discusses 'black-and-white image' of motherhood in new book

Anna Nooshin has authored a new book specifically for 'inbetweeners,' mothers who find themselves between the extremes of postpartum bliss and depression. She aims to challenge the black-and-white por...

Inspectorate investigates youth care after child abuse in Stadskanaal

The Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) has launched an investigation into youth care providers and Veilig Thuis Groningen in Stadskanaal. The probe follows a serious child abuse case involving t...

Uganda closes border with Congo due to Ebola outbreak

Uganda has closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent the further spread of an Ebola outbreak. The decision follows reports of over 900 suspected cases and 220 deaths in Congo,...

Almost 16,000 Amsterdam social housing units face mold issues, but fixing them is harder than expected

Information security inadequate at many large mental health organizations

The Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) reported that a majority of large mental healthcare organizations do not meet legal requirements for information security. The regulator has demanded...

Former court employee sentenced to four years for selling data

A former employee of the Amsterdam district court has been sentenced to four years in prison, with one year suspended, for selling confidential data from judicial systems. The court also convicted the...

No money for public toilets in Velsen despite Accessibility Platform request

The municipality of Velsen has announced it lacks the budget to install 24-hour public toilets. This decision comes despite formal requests for increased accessibility from the Platform Accessibility ...

Two children from Belgium train crash may soon be released from hospital

Two of the five children seriously injured in a collision between a train and a school bus in Belgium may soon be released from the hospital. According to the school's principal, three other students ...

Psychiatric treatment for former Heemskerk resident extended by another two years

The court in Haarlem has extended the involuntary psychiatric treatment (TBS) of a 40-year-old man for an additional two years. The individual, a former resident of Heemskerk, has already spent fourte...