A long-term Brazilian study has cast fresh doubt on the wisdom of swapping sugar for artificial sweeteners. Tracking more than 12,700 adults for eight years in a longitudinal study, researchers divided participants into three groups based on consumption of low- and no-calorie sweeteners—including aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol. Only tagatose, a naturally occurring […]
Swiss health declining, with poor sleep a leading problem
Fewer Swiss now say they are in good health. Only one in ten describe themselves as feeling very healthy, down from one in five when the insurer CSS began surveying well being in 2020. The decline is steepest among the young. Nearly half of those aged 18 to 35 report poor sleep, alongside exhaustion, loneliness […]
Switzerland axes plan for a national study on forever chemicals
Switzerland has shelved plans for a national study on the health effects of chemical pollutants, reported RTS. The scheme, intended to track the impact of pesticides, heavy metals and “forever chemicals” such as PFAS on 100,000 volunteers over two decades, would have cost as much as CHF 240 million. The Federal Council cited budget constraints […]
Bern rejects extra emergency-room charge
This week, Bern decided patients who turn up at accident-and-emergency units with trivial complaints should not face extra charges, reported RTS. On Wednesday it rejected a parliamentary proposal to let cantons impose a levy on such visits, arguing it would add bureaucracy without easing pressure on hospitals. The idea came from Thomas Weibel, a former […]
Bern to have more control during the next pandemic
Much time has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the Swiss government has not forgotten the challenges the country faced trying to coordinate the efforts of cantonal and federal authorities to manage the situation. This week, Bern set out draft laws governing how decisions will be made during future pandemics, reported RTS. Switzerland must be […]
Deadly week in the Swiss Alps
Over the last week, 9 people have died in sporting accidents in Switzerland’s Alps, reported RTS. In addition, the body of a climber that went missing on 11 July 2025 was recovered. On Monday, Valais’s cantonal police said that two climbers had found a body on the Lagginhorn on 5 August 2025. The body, which […]
The West Nile Virus – how high is the risk in Switzerland?
Cases of West Nile virus are climbing in Italy. Since the start of the year, 173 infections have been confirmed, 84 of them in the past week alone, according to national health authorities. The Lazio region, which includes Rome, has been the hardest hit, accounting for 104 cases this year. Eleven deaths have been reported […]
Sterile tiger mosquitoes successfully released in Ticino
Ticino is testing an unusual weapon against an unwelcome visitor: the Asian tiger mosquito. The insect, which can spread dengue and chikungunya fever, is abundant in the canton. Local researchers are now deploying sterilised males to curb the population, reported SRF. The method, first trialled in Morcote in 2024, proved highly effective, cutting mosquito numbers […]
Swiss breast cancer screening programmes under threat
Switzerland’s breast cancer screening programmes are under threat, reported SRF. The Cancer League, a leading advocacy group, has warned that upcoming cuts to physician fees may push some radiologists to abandon the initiative altogether—jeopardising a system credited with saving lives through early detection. Currently, 14 cantons offer biennial breast cancer screening to women aged 50 […]
Swiss insurers fear cost explosion from weight loss drug
Since March 2024, Switzerland’s basic health insurance started reimbursing part of the cost of Wegovy, a weight-loss drug developed by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. The decision has led to a surge in uptake—and concern among insurers, reported RTS. Roughly 40,000 people received Wegovy under Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance in 2024, according an association representing […]
