National Institute for Public Health and the Environment

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Dutch: Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu or simply RIVM), is a Dutch research institute that is an independent agency of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu
Coat of arms of the Netherlands
Agency overview
JurisdictionKingdom of the Netherlands
HeadquartersAntonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, Bilthoven
52.118524°N 5.189059°E / 52.118524; 5.189059
Employees1700
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Prof. J. (Hans) Brug, Director-general
Parent departmentMinistry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Netherlands)
WebsiteRIVM website

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:[1][2]

  • research
  • policy support
  • national coordination
  • intervention programmes
  • provision of reliable information to the general public and to professionals working in health care about infectious diseases, the environment, nutrition and safety.

RIVM is located in Bilthoven and employs over 1500 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 organisation with many different international links and a range of activities.[3]

Organisation
RIVM building

The RIVM organisation consists of three domains with specific knowledge and expertise: Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology (Centre for Infectious Disease Control), Environment and Safety (including environmental incident service), Public Health and Health Services (including food and food safety).[4]

See also

Notes and references
  1. Search of the Dutch Research Data Base (NOD)
  2. About RIVM Archived 2007-02-21 at the Wayback Machine
  3. The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) (at Columbia University, New York, USA)
  4. RIVM organisation

About RIVM

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