facts & healthy figures all life contact – us! long —

Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14 1050 • 135 T + 32 2 642 51 11 – SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS [email protected] “ 850 ” — 10 QUOTES financed by Belgian PATENTS IN THE MEDIA and international partners — — in the field www.sciensano.be annually of health

80+ REFERENCE CENTRES 260 AND LABS AT PEER-REVIEWED NATIONAL ARTICLES AND INTER- — NATIONAL published annually LEVEL 5CORE VALUES — 1. Innovation 110 2. Impartiality PARLIAMENTARY 130 000 3. Proactivity QUESTIONS SAMPLE ANALYSES 4. Respect — — 5. Scientific processed annually conducted annually approach

R. E.: Dr. Pierre Kerkhofs, General director a.i. – Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14 1050 Brussels Belgium animals and wildlife. This surveillance enables the the effects of vaccination against certain diseases, detection of threats and allows us to evaluate them. the control of medical laboratories for the analysis healthy We also support the authorities in the fight against of human samples and the biosafety assessment for who what all life these diseases. queries involving GMOs, among others. long We monitor chronic diseases (cardiovascular, meta- – bolic and rheumatic diseases, ), which have Sciensano's become the first cause of death worldwide. Animal health we we priority is to ensure that the population Sciensano provides scientific and technical support, not only to the authorities (the Federal Agency for remains healthy as long the Safety of the Food Chain and the Federal Public as possible. Quality of healthcare Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment), but also to professional organisations and front-line are do In Belgium, the healthcare system is accessible to laboratories. the majority of the population. Sciensano per- forms a check-up of this system in conjunction with The scope of our activities is wide and the National Institute for Health and Disability Insur- includes epizootic diseases (epidemic ance and the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre. – – diseases affecting animals) and emerging diseases that pose a major socio-economic The evaluation is performed using indicators such risk. as the health status of the population or the access to qualitative care. Sciensano coordinates national This relates to zoonoses (i.e. diseases or databases, measures care pathways applied by SCIENSANO can count on more than 700 staff To ensure the quality of food, Sciensano identifies that can be transmitted, directly or indirectly, from Health and environment doctors for specific diseases, monitors healthcare- the possible presence of pathogens in food, monitors animals to humans or the other way round), but also members who commit themselves, day after associated infections, is a national point of refe- Sciensano devotes a substantial part of its GMO’s, food contaminants and residues (, to diseases whose impact is solely economic. It is worth rence for certain types of diagnostics, assesses day, to achieve our motto: “Healthy all life research and monitoring activities to the heavy metals...), food contact materials (aluminium, pointing out that these diseases all have a direct or cancer policy in Belgium… long”. As our name suggests, science and health study of environmental risks to health. plastics...), food additives (flavours, colours...) and indirect effect on , if only, for example, nanomaterials. with regard to the use of antibiotics they necessitate. All these initiatives are designed to measure are central to our mission. Sciensano’s strength In the field of biosafety, Sciensano assesses whether the quality of patient care in a constant quest the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) Sciensano also monitors animal health as certain and uniqueness lie within the holistic and to improve their health. or the presence of pathogens, such as bacteria animal diseases can pose a risk to citizens, via the multidisciplinary approach to health. More and viruses, implies a danger to human health and food chain among others. the environment. Sciensano particularly we focus on the close and combines different indissoluble interconnection between human Sciensano has also developed sustainability indicators Effectiveness and safety scientific disciplines and animal health and their environment (the to measure the progress made in the use of envi- Health and disease ronmental friendlier pesticides, which are therefore of , medicines in order to prevent, “” concept). By combining different better for the consumers’ health. monitoring and health products - evaluate and mitigate research perspectives within this framework, “Healthy all life long”: Sciensano's priority is health problems. Sciensano also studies the impact of on to ensure that the population remains Quality of medical Sciensano contributes in a unique way to health. The results of our studies provide the basis healthy as long as possible. laboratories everybody’s health. For this, Sciensano builds on for the development of preventive health policies. the more than 100 years of scientific expertise of Through various monitoring methods (nationwide Diseases can only be prevented and treated if the surveys, the so-called ‘sentinel’ surveillance net- appropriate means are available: human or veterinary the former Veterinary and Agrochemical Food consumption work, registries, etc.), we collect information on vaccines, medicines and medical devices, etc. Research Centre (CODA-CERVA) and the the population’s health: its disabilities, medicines and consumption, eating habits, well-being... Thanks to Sciensano helps the Federal Agency for ex-Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP). this information, the authorities can evaluate and Medicines and Health Products to assess Food and food safety are at the heart adapt their policies to meet the health needs of the these means, in order to ensure their quality, of Sciensano’s concerns. population. safety and effectiveness.

Thanks to its food consumption surveys, Sciensano Sciensano monitors infectious diseases (AIDS, , We operate in areas such as the quality control of performs an in-depth exploration of the citizens’ salmonella, bronchitis, etc.), including zoonoses (in- medicines and illegal and counterfeit medical habits in order to determine whether they match fectious diseases in animals that can be transmitted products, antibiotic resistance, the quality control official food recommendations. to humans, such as brucellosis or ) in farm of vaccines prior to marketing, the assessment of