A recently published study shows 84% of ticks collected in urban areas and 77% of those in rural areas in Switzerland contained at least one non-viral pathogen in addition to a number of viruses. Almost every tick has the potential to make you sick, said Cornel Fraefel, a virologist from the University of Zurich who […]
Price cuts on 350 medicines in Switzerland
With the ever rising cost of of Swiss healthcare, the government has been hunting for savings. This week it announced that it has ordered price cuts on 350 medicines from 1 December 2023, reported RTS. On average the drugs on the list will cost 10% less and deliver an overall expected saving of CHF 120 […]
Switzerland’s birthrate drops sharply in 2022
Statistics published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show an 8% annual fall in the number of natural births in Switzerland. In 2022, there were 82,371 births, down 8.1% from 89,644 in 2021. The recent fall in births follows a rise of 4.3% in 2021 following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. In […]
Referendum to cap health insurance premiums to move forward
An initiative proposed by Switzerland’s Centre Party looks set to move to the next phase after government counter proposals were rejected this week, reported SRF. The cost of Switzerland’s compulsory health insurance will rise by 8.7% next year, something that has pushed the issue to the top of voters’ list of concerns – in a […]
More than a quarter of Switzerland’s doctors over 60
As Switzerland’s population ages so do its doctors. In 2021, more than a quarter of doctors were more than 60 years old, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). At the end of 2021 Switzerland had 25,439 doctors working in doctors’ surgeries or outpatient centres, a rate of nearly 3 per 1,000 […]
Swiss health insurance premiums set to rise most since 2010
Health insurance premiums will rise by 8.7% on average in 2024, announced the authorities this week. This is the sharpest rise since 2010 when they rose by 8.6%. The average monthly premium across Switzerland in 2024 will be CHF 359.50. Health Minister Alain Berset and Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) director Anne Lévy announced the […]
Cycle helmets surprisingly rare in Switzerland
Riding a bike, e-bike or e-scooter is dangerous compared to travelling in a car. In 2020, cyclists and e-bikers together accounted for the largest share (38%) of total serious accidents on Switzerland’s roads. However, despite the odds of serious accidents, surprisingly few wear helmets, according to a survey by TCS. Overall, the survey, based on […]
Swiss government’s generics push could cut 250 million from health bill
Many drugs come in two forms: expensive branded drugs and cheaper generic copies. Switzerland’s Federal Council hopes a shift to cheaper generic and bio-similar medicines can shave CHF 250 million from Switzerland’s rapidly rising cost of healthcare, reported SRF. New rules on medicine choices and health insurance were already set to come into force on […]
Toxic chemicals found in Swiss population
A recent study by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), which analysed the blood and urine of members of the public, revealed undesirable levels of chemical compounds, in particular perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a substance banned since 2010 in Switzerland. PFOA exposure has been associated with two kinds of cancer as well as four other […]
Science shows this popular Swiss activity increases brain power and life expectancy
A recent National Geographic article looks at the rejuvenating power of nature on our brain and overall health. What we have known intuitively for centuries is now being backed up by hard scientific evidence. An alternative school in Switzerland, not far from Zurich, is putting this science into practice, while many Swiss unwittingly benefit from it during their time off. The landscape architects […]
