Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, and Pascalle Grotenhuis, Director-General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are joining forces with some 20 parties to strengthen commitment to improving public health worldwide. The Dutch Global Health Hub was launched on 28 September 2023. The parties have signed the Global Health Pact to take their commitment one step further. From Erasmus University Rotterdam, Igna Bonfrer, Director of the Rotterdam Global Health Initiative (RGHI), signed.
The Dutch Global Health Hub has been set up to lead the way towards a global health system. The Hub brings together parties including knowledge institutions, academics, NGOs, top sectors, young people, innovators and thinktanks active in the field of global health. By joining forces, the partners will contribute to:
- Strengthening the global health architecture and national health systems. For example, by improving access to basic health and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
- Improving international pandemic preparedness and minimising cross-border health threats. By focusing on global access to medicines and health products, and strengthening international action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and zoonotic diseases policy.
- Addressing the impact of climate change on public health, and vice versa. By making healthcare more sustainable and climate-resilient worldwide, and ensuring that it is climate resilient.
Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport: “We are all aware of the urgent need to develop a fairer and more resilient ecosystem for public health. The challenges we are facing are so extensive that we must leave no stone unturned. By this I mean creating symbiosis not only between countries, but also between ministries and sectors. We need the expertise of knowledge institutions and NGOs, and the involvement of both public and private partners. Each has a role to play. Only then will we be able to effectively address the challenges we are currently facing.”
The Dutch Global Health Hub is part of the government’s global health strategy. Key points in this strategy are improving cooperation, sharing knowledge and experience, and defending human rights to improve the health of people worldwide.
Pascalle Grotenhuis, Director-General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “It is clearer than ever that health challenges don’t stop at borders. And that we are all dependent on each other to limit health challenges, such as new outbreaks of diseases and the impact on health caused by climate change. Collaboration across a range of sectors and with partners across our borders is vital. This is why we have worked closely with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in developing the Dutch Global Health Strategy and the Global Health Hub. This will enable us to identify the most pressing needs, bring together knowledge, commitment and financial support, encourage communities to stand up for their health rights, strengthen health systems and address the needs of the most vulnerable, including women, children and LGBTIQ+ persons.”
This article was first published on 6 October by Erasmus University Rotterdam.
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