News item | 12-12-2025 | 2:45 PM
Strengthening the vaccination rate, broadening the suicide prevention approach, promoting sexual health, combating obesity, strengthening mental resilience and paying attention to women’s health are examples of health priorities that require special attention. This has been established in the new National Health Policy Memorandum 2025-2028. At the proposal of State Secretary Tielen (Youth, Prevention and Sport), the Council of Ministers approved this memorandum setting out the challenges and priorities in the field of public health and prevention for the coming years.
Municipalities close to people
On the basis of the National Health Policy Memorandum 2025-2028, municipalities, GGDs, regional and local partners will work to further develop and adopt municipal health policy. The Public Health Act (Wpg) prescribes that municipalities must do this within 2 years of the publication of the national memorandum. Municipal health policy – from welfare facilities to healthy design of public spaces – is important because people notice a great effect on it in everyday practice.
Physically, mentally and socially
State Secretary Tielen: “The health challenges of our time are extensive. For example, we are dealing with an aging population, but health differences also continue to require attention, both between different income groups and between women and men. Lifestyle has a major impact and mental health – especially among young people – is under pressure. As a society, we are working in many ways to meet these challenges as best as possible. And we will be working hard on this – nationally, regionally and locally, hand in hand with municipalities – in the coming years. For us It all applies that moving forward in life starts with growing up, developing and living in the best possible health: physically, mentally and socially.”
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Examples of priorities that receive attention in the elaboration of national and local health policy:
- To increase vaccination rates, efforts are being made, among other things, to expand and intensify the district-oriented vaccination approach, which is achieving good initial results in Amsterdam, for example.
- The government and municipalities work together to promote and protect sexual health. With the knowledge and experience of the GGD, municipalities are called on to structurally include sexual health in their health policy and to connect it with themes such as mental health, (excessive) substance use, living environment and social safety.
- The government and municipalities together face the task of sustainably improving mental health, with special attention to young people and other risk groups. Municipal (and digital) walk-in facilities where people can go with questions and concerns can play an important role in this.
- The Integrated Suicide Prevention Act will come into effect on January 1, 2026. This also means that municipalities are given the responsibility to develop a broad and coherent approach to suicide prevention locally. From 2026 onwards, municipalities will receive €10 million annually for this purpose via the Municipal Fund.
- Local partners are committed to preventing and reducing obesity, for example through childcare, schools and youth health care. And of course also by encouraging sports and exercise.
- With regard to women’s health, the ZonMw knowledge program on Women-specific Health, which was launched last year, contributes to building a national network of healthcare professionals, researchers, patient associations, insurers and employers. This network is developing a platform so that women can find the right care more quickly. The National Women’s Health Strategy will be developed into a concrete work agenda in 2026.
The National Health Policy Memorandum 2025-2028 was drawn up in close collaboration with the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), GGD GHOR Netherlands and a broad delegation of municipalities and GGDs.