Netherlands and WHO Strengthen Health Partnership as Crises Put Care Under Pressure

Dr Tedros thanked the Netherlands for its continued leadership on health security, emergency preparedness and response, resilient health systems, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Getting medical care during a conflict or disease outbreak depends on health workers, functioning facilities, reliable supplies and funding that arrives when it is needed. These needs shaped a meeting on 30 September 2026 between WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the Netherlands' Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, as they reaffirmed their countries' partnership in protecting people's health worldwide and discussed how to respond more effectively when emergencies threaten access to care.

Reliable funding helps health teams respond to emergencies

Dr Tedros thanked the Netherlands for its continued leadership on health security, emergency preparedness and response, resilient health systems, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The cooperation reflects the Netherlands' Global Health Strategy 2023–2030, which recognises that protecting health around the world helps protect people at home, connecting international support with the country's own health priorities and its interest in stronger systems that can withstand crises.

Flexible and predictable financing was a central part of the discussion because it strengthens WHO's ability to prepare for emergencies and respond when they occur. Dutch support contributes to WHO's work in Gaza, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helping provide essential health services, monitor diseases, control outbreaks and deliver medical supplies. The leaders explored ways to deepen emergency cooperation, including mechanisms that make funding more readily available so outbreaks can be contained before they grow into larger crises.

Patients and health workers need protection when crises deepen

The evolution of the Ebola outbreak and access to essential health services for Palestinian patients from Gaza received particular attention, bringing the discussion back to the needs of people whose care can be interrupted by rapidly changing conditions. Dr Tedros and Minister Sjoerdsma considered how stronger cooperation and faster action could support emergency responses, with timely resources helping health teams address urgent needs and maintain services that patients depend on.

A growing number of attacks on health care added urgency to their call for protecting health workers, patients and medical facilities. Their discussion connected that protection with the need to keep essential services available in humanitarian settings, where damage to a facility or threats against staff can place further pressure on access to treatment. Both leaders reiterated the importance of safeguarding the people delivering care and those seeking it.

Women's health remains a shared priority

The Netherlands' sustained support for sexual and reproductive health and rights drew recognition from Dr Tedros, particularly its commitment to women, girls and people in vulnerable situations. Through cooperation with WHO and the WHO-hosted Human Reproduction Programme, Dutch support has helped turn research and evidence into practical improvements in women's health, giving the partnership a role in connecting scientific findings with the services and care people receive.

WHO's ongoing transformation and organisational priorities formed another part of the meeting, with both sides sharing a commitment to making resources, expertise and international cooperation deliver greater benefits for countries and communities. Dr Tedros and Minister Sjoerdsma agreed to continue working closely on their shared priorities, carrying forward a partnership that spans emergency response, stronger health systems and the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights.