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be.Prepared to increase Belgian integration of health data as a way of strengthening preparedness for infectious diseases
No full textThe Belgian Preparedness Architecture for Infectious Diseases be Prepared is an overarching Belgian infrastructure that facilitates the integration of health data from different sources in order to strengthen preparedness for infectious diseases The initial microbial study cases are Listeria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Neisseria meningitidis, Salmonella, Influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Here, we present an overview of the components of the be Prepared architecture the central bioinformatics BioIT platform, the central National Reference Centre (NRC) platform and the healthdata.be platform. </p
Policy brief Belgian EBCP Mirror Group - Artificial Intelligence in cancer care
No full textArtificial Intelligence (AI) is already a reality in health systems, bringing benefits to patients, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in the health care. To further leverage AI in health, Belgium is advised to make policy-level decisions about how to fund, design and undertake actions focussing on data access and inclusion, IT-infrastructure, legal and ethical frameworks, public and professional trust, in addition to education and interpretation. EU initiatives, such as European Health data space (EHDS), the Genomics Data Infrastructure (GDI) and the EU Cancer Imaging Infrastructure (EUCAIM) are building EU data infrastructures. To continue these positive developments, Belgium should continue to invest and support existing European data infrastructures. At the national level, a clear vision and strategy need to be developed and infrastructures need to be harmonized at the European level.</p
Validation of the measurement of Aluminium in food by ICP-OES after acid digestion
No full textAluminium is the third most abundant element within the Earth’s crust, making this element often occur in foodstuffs. Its presence in food can stem from natural occurrences, the use of aluminium-containing food additives, and from the usage of food contact materials with aluminium content. Primary contributors to the dietary aluminium intake include cereal and cereal products, vegetables, and beverages. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of 1 milligram aluminium per kilogram of body weight per week.[1] To regulate the content of aluminium in foodstuffs, it is necessary to accurately measure aluminium levels.
In our laboratory, we have developed a method utilising inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to analyse certain elements (i.e. copper, iron, manganese, and zinc) in foodstuffs. To expand the scope of this method, a validation was carried out for the measurement of aluminium in food of vegetable origin. Compared to other metals, the full digestion of aluminium in food of vegetable origin requires higher temperatures. In addition, to avoid losses by evaporation due to these high temperatures, the dilution process needed to be optimized. These modifications were implemented compared to the initial digestion method to improve the accuracy of the aluminium measurements. Validation of the aluminium measurement using ICP-OES was performed, during which the precision, trueness and quantification limits (LOQ) of the measurement were determined. An expanded measurement uncertainty could be calculated.
Keywords: validation, aluminium, ICP-OES
References:
1. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),. “Safety of Aluminium from Dietary Intake — Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Food Contact Materials (AFC).” EFSA Journal 6, no. 7 (2008): 754. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2008.754.</p
L’analyse chimique de l’ivermectine falsifiée saisie par les agences de contrôle belges lors de la COVID-19.
No full textChemical Characterization of Feminine Intimate Products an Extractables & Leachables Investigation
No full textFeminine intimate products (FIPs), including tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, and adult novelties, are widely used for women’s hygiene and comfort. However, growing concerns about hazardous chemicals in these products have emerged.This study provides an accurate overview of potential hazardous chemicals (both organic and inorganic) in FIPs and to determine the quantities that may leach under typical in-use conditions. We developed a workflow akin to ISO-10993 for evaluating medical devices, consisting of three steps: (1) conducting extraction experiments under exaggerated conditions to identify all chemical constituents (extractables); (2) prioritizing these chemicals based on regulatory hazard information, supplemented by in silico toxicological data; and (3) performing migration studies using simulants of vaginal and menstrual fluids, followed by targeted quantification of the prioritized leachable chemicals. This strategy is applied to 64 FIPs, including absorbent hygiene products (tampons (n=9), sanitary napkins (n=6)), adult novelties (n=15), menstrual cups (n=15), Kegel devices (n=14), and menstrual sea sponges (n=5), sourced from the EU, US, and China.Extractables assessment revealed 55 unique chemicals, including phthalates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fragrances, and plastic additives. A hazard-based prioritization highlighted phthalates (DEHP, DiNP, DBP) and styrene as top chemicals for further investigation. Notably, leaching simulations showed that 65% (36 of 55) of the identified chemicals were not confirmed as leachables. The 19 leachable chemicals included 9 fragrances, 5 phthalates, 2 plastic additives, and 3 VOCs, with maximum levels of 28.22 µg/g (heliotropine), 100 ppb (DEHP), and 18 ppm (triethyl citrate). Additionally, menstrual sea sponges exhibited the highest levels of leaching metal(loid)s, with Nickel, Antimony, and Mercury reaching levels of 1850, 0.3, and 0.6 ppb, respectively.This study provides new insights into the chemical composition of FIPs, demonstrating that most hazardous chemicals present do not leach under realistic use conditions; however, exposure to phthalates, fragrances, and other constituents remains possible.</p
Addressing health determinants in a digital age: project report - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
No full textThe aim of this project was to develop a conceptual framework and provide a common understanding of health determinants in a digital age in light of the emergence of digital determinants of health and the digital transformations of social, political, and commercial and economic determinants. A scoping review was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Relevant data were extracted and clustered using a thematic analysis. Priority areas were identified through internal discussions guided by consensus methods. This report offers a comprehensive overview of determinants, encompassing policy decisions, individual behaviours and factors across digital, social, commercial and economic, and political domains that influence health in the digital age. It seeks to deepen understanding of how health outcomes manifest within a digital ecosystem and elucidate strategies for addressing the intricate and evolving networks of health determinants.</p
Standardised reporting of burden of disease studies: the STROBOD statement
No full textBackground
The burden of disease (BOD) approach, originating with the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in the 1990s, has become a cornerstone for population health monitoring. Despite the widespread use of the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) metric, variations in methodological approaches and reporting inconsistencies hinder comparability across studies. To tackle this issue, we set out to develop guidelines for reporting DALY calculation studies to improve the transparency and comparability of BOD estimates.
Methods and Findings
The development of the STROBOD statement began within the European Burden of Disease Network, evolving from initial concepts discussed in workshops and training sessions focused on critical analysis of BOD studies. In 2021, a working group was formed to refine the preliminary version into the final Standardised Reporting of Burden of Disease studies (STROBOD) statement, consisting of 28 items structured across six main sections. These sections cover the title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and open science, aiming to ensure transparency and standardization in reporting BOD studies. Notably, the methods section of the STROBOD checklist encompasses aspects such as study setting, data inputs and adjustments, DALY calculation methods, uncertainty analyses, and recommendations for reproducibility and transparency. A pilot phase was conducted to test the efficacy of the STROBOD statement, highlighting the importance of providing clear explanations and examples for each reporting item.
Conclusions
The inaugural STROBOD statement offers a crucial framework for standardizing reporting in BOD research, with plans for ongoing evaluation and potential revisions based on user feedback. While the current version focuses on general BOD methodology, future iterations may include specialized checklists for distinct applications such as injury or risk factor estimation, reflecting the dynamic nature of this field.</p