On 22 September 2024, the Swiss will vote on two popular initiatives. The first is the biodiversity initiative “For the future of our nature and our landscape”. The second is on a plan to reform Switzerland’s occupational pension system. Biodiversity, a term referring to the number of living organisms and the habitats that support them, […]
How to avoid death and injury from lightning
Switzerland is no stranger to violent storms, which sometime come out of nowhere when hiking in the mountains. According to experts, most people struck by lightning survive. But the risks of suffering long term damage are high, reported SRF. The electricity discharged by lightning can be as high as 100,000 amperes, according to Christian Franck, […]
A look back at Swiss resistance to seat belt laws
Thirty years ago, Switzerland introduced rules making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in any seat where seatbelts are fitted. This made wearing seatbelts in rear seats compulsory for the first time, reported RTS. Adding a requirement to wear rear seatbelts was met with little resistance. However, in 1980 when a referendum was run on whether […]
Swiss hospitals lost a billion francs in 2023
Switzerland’s health system is under strain. New drugs and treatments combined with an ageing population, along with cost inflation are the main drivers. This week, KPMG published a report quantifying the hole in Switzerland’s hospital finances. Only 30% (14) of the 48 hospitals and clinics surveyed reported generating a profit. The other 70% were running […]
Plans to use controversial death capsule in Switzerland
The first suicide in the controversial death capsule, dubbed “Sarco”, is set to take place in the next few weeks, reported SRF. Philip Nitschke, the Australian inventor of the device, has chosen Switzerland to launch the use of his invention. The pod, which creates an airtight space, fills with nitrogen upon the push of a […]
Swiss politicians discuss making patients pay larger share of medical bills
Switzerland’s system of compulsory health insurance already requires patients to pay a portion of medical bills in addition to paying premiums. To stem the rise in premiums, an old idea has resurfaced: make patients pay an even greater share of their medical costs. This week, some political parties voiced support for a higher minimum deductible, […]
Swiss smoking rate declines but remains high
In 2022, 24% of Switzerland’s population smoked, according to data published on 2 July 2024 by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). This percentage is down 3 percentage points from the rate in 2017 when the survey was last done. The smoking rate has fallen most significantly among people with tertiary education. The proportion of heavy […]
Swiss life expectancy reaches an all time high
This week, Unisanté published calculations showing Swiss life expectancy of 84 years for 2023, the highest level ever reached. Life expectancy at birth was 82.2 for men and 85.6 for women, said Unisanté, referencing its calculations based on Federal Statistical Office (FSO) data. These figures are higher than they were in 2019, before the Covid-19 […]
Swiss premium relief vote shifts towards rejection
Rising health insurance premiums, which partly fund Switzerland’s healthcare system, are a key concern among Swiss voters. An initiative that aims to subsidise the premiums of those on low incomes will be put to voters on 9 June 2024. Had the vote taken place in April 2024, 56% of voters would have supported it. However, […]
Winter avalanche deaths above Swiss average
Over the last 20 years, there have been an average of 21 avalanche deaths per year in Switzerland. During the winter of 2023/24, 23 lives were cut short by avalanches, according to data published by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (WSL) in Davos, a figure slightly above average. At 261, the number […]
