2 septembre 2025|
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|3 months agoSwitzerland Cancels Major Health Study Due to Budget Cuts
Federal health office terminates CHF240 million nationwide study on PFAS and pesticide exposure, impacting planned research on 100,000 volunteers.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- The Federal Office for Public Health (FOPH) has cancelled a planned nationwide health study due to federal savings measures.
- The study would have cost between CHF 10-12 million annually, totaling up to CHF 240 million over two decades.
- A pilot study with 789 volunteers found PFAS chemicals in 100% of blood samples tested.
- In the pilot study, 3.6% of samples exceeded health-relevant threshold values for chemicals.
By The Numbers
CHF 240 million
Total projected cost
100,000
Volunteers
100%
PFAS detection rate
CHF 10-12 million
Annual cost
They Said
"The data from the health study would have been very valuable for policy and prevention."
"The question arises as to what is more beneficial: investing money in research or paying for the consequential damage caused by chemicals through health insurance premiums and losing human lives prematurely."
1
Austerity Slashes Critical Health Research
2
The Pilot Study's Alarming Revelation
3
Experts Decry a 'Missed Opportunity'
4