Swiss healthcare is typically ranked the world’s second most expensive, as a percentage of GDP, after the US. In Switzerland, compulsory health insurance premiums cover 37% of healthcare costs. Much of the rest is covered by tax payers and non-reimbursable out-of-pocket payments by individuals. As part of a plan to reduce costs, this week, the […]
Excessive nitrate levels found in Swiss ground water
A recent study found excessive levels of nitrates in 15% to 20% of underground water samples in Switzerland, according to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Underground water is the source of most of Switzerland’s (80%) drinking water. The data was collected at 600 water testing sites between 2007 and 2017. In 2014, 15% […]
Sharp rise in stand up paddle accidents in Switzerland
Last year, there were around 500 recorded stand up paddle injuries in Switzerland according to the insurer SUVA, one of Switzerland’s largest accident insurers. Since 2015, the number of injuries has more than doubled. Most accidents result in leg and foot injuries (47%), followed by injuries to hands and fingers (25%), the waist and behind […]
Drug addicts entitled to disability welfare, rules Switzerland’s highest court
Until recently, Swiss case law placed the responsibility for drug addiction on the drug user. Drug addicts only qualified for disability welfare if their addiction was connected with an illness or accident. A recent ruling on a case by the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court, changes this. The case involved a man in Zurich dependent […]
Switzerland set to ban 15 pesticides
Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) plans to look at the regulations on 15 pesticides containing the chemical chlorothalonil, an ingredient used since the 70s to protect fruit and cereal crops from disease. Environmental groups will be given a chance to comment on the review, said FOAG. Tests in parts of Switzerland have revealed high […]
Switzerland to get new realtime pollen meters
The number of people in Switzerland suffering from pollen allergies has risen dramatically. Today, around 20% of the population has an allergic reaction to pollen. Epidemiological studies across the world show that allergies in general have tripled over the last 30 years, according to the CHUV hospital in Lausanne. Pollen allergies are an immune system […]
Drivers asked to stay out of cars as ozone pollution climbs
As ozone levels surpass healthy limits across the country, the authorities are urging residents to stay out of their cars and off their motorcycles. The governments of Geneva and Vaud both issued statements calling on residents not to drive in a bid to combat ozone pollution. A sharp rise in ozone, a pollutant that can […]
Swiss government aims to loosen marijuana laws
Switzerland’s government is aiming to make it easier to access medical marijuana, which is used by those suffering from cancer or other serious medical conditions. The proposed rules would make it possible for doctors to directly prescribe cannabis as part of their treatment, said the Federal Council in a statement. Currently, patients have to apply […]
Government rejects vote to ban synthetic pesticides in Switzerland
In February 2019, an initiative to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in Switzerland collected enough signatures to run a referendum entitled: For a Switzerland free of synthetic pesticides. The initiative would ban the use of all synthetic pesticides in Swiss agriculture and the importation of food or animal feed used commercially that is produced […]
Swiss government approves further GM crop trials
Last week, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) gave a green light to trials of genetically modified (GM) barley in Switzerland. Permission was given to the University of Zurich to plant GM barley at a controlled site in the canton of Zurich. The barley has been modified to resist fungal diseases. The experiment aims […]
