Tag Archives: health

© Dreamstime.com Last weekend, several thousand protestors assembled outside the Federal Palace in Bern to voice their opposition to Switzerland’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, reported Tribune de Genève. The protest is likely to be the last one authorised in the city ahead of a vote on 28 November 2021 to reverse laws introduced by the Swiss government to manage the pandemic. According to reports at the scene published in various Swiss newspapers the protest...

© Simona Pilolla | Dreamstime.com Recently published figures show the largest fall in male life expectancy in Switzerland since 1944 and the largest since 1962 for women. In 2020, a year marked by Covid-19, life expectancy at birth fell to 81.0 for men and 85.1 for women, a decline of 0.9 and 0.5 years respectively compared with 2019. Such a decline had not been observed since 1944 among men and 1962 among women, according to mortality tables calculated by...

This week, a Council of States commission accepted a plan to regulate the cannabis trade in Switzerland, reported 20 Minutes. This decision by the public health commission follows an earlier one by a parliamentary commission looking at the same question. The way is now clear for parliament to create a new law that lifts the ban on the use of cannabis in Switzerland. The Council of States commission voted 9 to 2 in favour of changing the rules around the sale and use of cannabis. A key...

© Sergey Chuyko | Dreamstime.com Over the weekend, several thousand people took to Swiss streets to protest against Switzerland’s measures to reduce the impact of Covid-19, reported RTS. In Lausanne, between 800 and 1,000 people marched in protest against Covid certificates and restrictions on individual liberty. No violence or property damage was reported. In Lugano, calls from an association named friends of the constitution drew around 400 protestors to the...

© Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com According to a recent survey, one third of Swiss are against the extension of Covid certificates. But most think opposition is higher. Two thirds of those surveyed by Tamedia were happy for Covid certificates to be extended to restaurants and public spaces, reported 20 Minutes. The 67% in favour of the extension were either fully in favour (57%) or fairly in favour of it (10%). The 33% opposed to the extension were either fully...

Bulging waist lines and high rates of heart disease, cancer and type II diabetes are putting increasing pressure on healthcare systems, so the world is on the lookout for ways to tackle the problem. One is food labelling. But few producers want their products labelled as unhealthy. Swiss farmers are no exception. © Zigmunds Dizgalvis | Dreamstime.comAccording to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these diseases account for 71% of all deaths. Because food choices are central to the rates...

On 4 October 2021, Assura informed 500,000 policy holders they would receive a refund. Earlier, on 28 September 2021, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), presented the company’s premiums for 2022. For many policy holders, next year’s premium increases will substantially exceed this year’s refunds. © Transversospinales | Dreamstime.comNext year, annual premiums under one of Assura’s plans (PharMed) are set to rise by CHF 75 for adult with a CHF 300 deductible and by CHF 62 for a...

© Zhukovsky | Dreamstime.com On 29 September 2021, Switzerland’s government announced it had signed a contract with Johnson & Johnson to receive 150,000 doses of its Covid-19 vaccine. The delivery of the doses is expected next week. The viral vector vaccine will be used primarily on people who cannot receive mRNA vaccines for medical reasons. However, it will also be made available to those who prefer such vaccines, said the Federal Office of Public Health...

© Francisco Javier Zea Lara | Dreamstime.com Compulsory Swiss health insurance premiums are on average set to fall by 0.2% in 2022, announced the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) on 28 September 2021. This is the first time since 2008 that average premiums have fallen. Basic health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland and governed by federal law called LAMal. Insurers must offer basic insurance to everyone who applies regardless of their health or habits....

Source: Facebook On 28 November 2021, Swiss voters will be asked whether they accept laws passed by the government on 19 March 2021 that paved the way for the introduction of Switzerland’s Covid certificate, a system that provides proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test. This is the second time a vote has been organised to challenge the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. On 13 June 2021, voters were given a chance to reverse the first batch of...