National Public Health Week in the USA | April 1-7, 2024

“We are all public health” is the theme of the upcoming National Public Health Week that will be celebrated in the USA starting on April 1, 2024. Each year the focus will be on one of the many health-related topics. This year the principal aim is to make us all aware of the fact that everyone can actually contribute to “public health” – a matter that is not just in the hands of the healthcare system and the government.

These topics can be actively addressed and awareness enhanced in everyday environments:

• Proper handling of waste:
  • Avoid waste as far as possible and dispose of it properly
• Careful use of natural resources:
  • Don’t waste any (waste) water, energy, etc.
• Responsible use of raw materials:
  • Consciously choose reusable, pollutant-free and recyclable products and materials
  • Buy regional, seasonal and organic food
    • This not only benefits your own body, but also supports local producers and retailers
    • Long supply chains and mass production will also be avoided
• Creating natural oases, including in urban habitats – from small gardens on balconies to wild meadows and bee hotels
• And much more …

Each and every one of us can do something!

We as a company are also aware of this responsibility and are proud to create efficient and sustainable solutions. We already successfully practice this in our Lab/Pharma (microplastics analysis, asbestos analysis) and Medical (infection prevention and Point-of-Use water filtration) divisions and are constantly working on further developments.

This current study on the topic of “air quality and legionella” indicates that the focus is shifting more and more toward proactive solutions that are particularly effective at the point of potential dissemination of legionella:

• Mysteriously rapid rise in Legionnaires’ disease incidence correlates with declining atmospheric sulfur dioxide

This study actually raises the question of whether an improvement in air quality might result in an increase in the number of cases of legionella infections.

This raises many other questions that need to be clarified. Thus we hope that further scientific research projects in this area will provide clarity.

We also look forward to discussing these and other topics with you.