Wemos opinion article about global health in the Volkskrant

It is essential that the Netherlands continues to invest in global health, for ourselves and the rest of the world. Global problems have local consequences, including for the Netherlands.

On Thursday 4 April, the Committee on Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation will debate the Dutch global health strategy. Attending members of parliament should call on the government to continue investing in the health of us all. In an opinion article in the Volkskrant, Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans explains why.

We think the Netherlands should:

• Address underlying causes of financing deficits in low- and middle-income countries – such as unsustainable debt and international tax evasion, so that they ultimately have sufficient budgets for their countries’ healthcare needs.
• Actively contribute to more regional production of medical products, for example in Africa. This will make countries more independent and enable them to prevent and fight diseases and epidemics more effectively.
• Follow through on the proposal it submitted with other countries to the World Health Organization to address health threats caused by climate change.