Why the Netherlands should step up its ambitions on global health

On 19 May the G20 discusses Global Health and the Netherlands has been invited. In 2018 the Netherlands will host major international conferences on HIV-AIDS and Tuberculosis. This Clingendael report affirms the rationale for adopting global health as a renewed Dutch foreign policy objective and for increasing Dutch engagement. It argues that delivering on the agenda is important for Dutch life sciences and for health and economic interests. It recommends an overarching approach, enhancing the objectives by seeking to utilise Dutch expertise and shifting gears towards coherent policy, which transcends specific sectoral interests.

To ensure more coherence, the report urges that global health policy and programming are approached from an integrated perspective and recommends the installation of a Special Envoy for Global Health. This Envoy could take the lead in orchestrating cooperation with global players such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Economic Forum and the EU (in particular the research it supports through Horizon 2020). 

The report points to the different approaches to global health and the need to align these in policies where different stakeholders get together for instance in a Global Health Deal. It recommends to drive a strong innovation agenda for global health. There is considerable expertise in health systems research and health policy development at the international level. By using these capacities strategically the Netherlands will contribute to the implementation of health priorities in the sustainable development goals.