NON_PUBLIC

Food consumption data were collected in the national sample (3 years and older) using two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls (or records in the case of children) performed with the GloboDiet software. The 24-hour recall method is discussed in detail on page 12 of the methodology report available on https://fcs.sciensano.be . The resulting “Detailed GloboDiet dataset” contains multiple rows for each participant and each recall day, corresponding to the list of consumed foods and recipes by the participant on a certain recall day.

The “FFQ dataset for Brussels” includes the data coming from the FFQ used in the oversample in Brussels. The “FFQ dataset for Brussels” contains multiple rows per participant, corresponding to the different food items investigated in the FFQ. Indeed, for each participant and each food item, the dataset includes the frequency of consumption, the portion size, the number of portions consumed and the consumed quantity.

The COVID-19 crisis has underlined the importance of the mental well-being of health and care professionals. The highest-quality care and assistance is provided by resilient health and care workers who feel good about themselves and work in a safe environment. Work-related (mental) well-being is therefore crucial, both for the health and care professional and the patient.

Since 2011, the Service Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases of Sciensano, which is responsible for the surveillance of infectious diseases, has been coordinating a network of reference laboratories for human microbiology called National Reference Centres (NRC). Each NRC consists of one or more laboratories and is designated as such for a pathogen or a group of pathogens according to clearly defined criteria in a procedure that is repeated at most every 5 years.

The LINK-VACC project links selected variables from existing registries for COVID-19 vaccine surveillance, in order to ensure the monitoring of COVID- 19 vaccines in the phase following their marketing authorization (post-authorization surveillance). This includes the measurement of uptake and coverage of the vaccination, the estimation of vaccine effectiveness, and continuous monitoring of the vaccine’s safety.

In a Health Examination Survey (HES) objective health information is collected among a representative sample of the total population, including those who have no contact with health services. The collection of objective health measures at population level is particularly important for items that are often not accurately reported in a health interview survey (e.g. height and weight) and for diseases that may be present without any symptoms but have important health consequences (e.g. high blood pressure or high cholesterol level in the blood).

The Central Registry of Rare Diseases (CRRD) is a national database containing a minimal, pseudonymised, cross-sectional dataset on patients who have consulted an expert centre in Belgium for a rare disease. The registry includes patients with a confirmed rare disease diagnosis, as well as patients for whom all reasonable diagnostic efforts by rare disease experts, using state-of-the-art methods and available diagnostic capabilities, did not result in a conclusive diagnosis of a clinically recognised condition.

The BMR-RBM was started in 1999 as a scientific project initiated by the Medical Committee of the CF-patient organisation (BVSM-ABLM) and the 7 CF-reference centres in Belgium collecting data of 1998. It was coordinated by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The main sponsor was the CF-Patient organisation, the cosponsor was the Fund Alfonse and Jean Forton of the King Baudouin Foundation. The VUB sponsored the overheads. After 5 years the scientific project came to an end and new sponsors were contacted.

The BNMDR project annually collects data from the 7 Belgian neuromuscular reference centers (NMRCs) to monitor the prevalence and course of 62 neuromuscular disease groups. It also supports the quality of care in the NMRCs through benchmarking and facilitates patient recruitment for clinical trials.

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) are a leading cause of diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in acute and chronic care settings. Due to the growing incidence and advancing hypervirulent strains of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), the Belgian Infection Control Society (BICS), in collaboration with Sciensano, is organizing a national surveillance in hospitals to determine the incidence of CDIs in our country. Registration began on July 1, 2006.