News item | 06-02-2023 | 10:30 am
More attention, more money and smart cooperation for a healthier society. That is the aim of the Healthy and Active Living Agreement (GALA), which has been signed by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. In the GALA, State Secretary Van Ooijen, Minister Helder and Minister Kuipers, together with the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), Health Insurers Netherlands (ZN) and GGD GHOR Nederland, have made agreements to work together smartly on more health, prevention and a strong social basis . It has been agreed in the agreement how we will achieve a healthy generation in 2040 with resilient healthy people who grow up, live, work and live in a socially and physically healthy living environment.
VWS invests extra in health
It has been agreed for this government’s term of office that the total amount for local prevention activities, health promotion, social basis and sport and exercise will increase to approximately €300 million per year. €195 million of this is structural. In addition, it has been agreed in the Integral Care Agreement (IZA) that a maximum of € 150 million will be structurally available annually for municipalities for concrete plans to achieve the IZA goals. Regional cooperation between health insurers and municipalities is an important part of this.
Neighborhood sports coach, combat loneliness, support informal carer
For the well-being of an elderly person it is sometimes better to invest in combating loneliness than in an extra care provider. People who want to live a healthier life can benefit from a neighborhood sports coach who can show them around at local sports clubs. If you want to prevent older people from falling, it is good to involve them in exercise programmes. At the same time, it can also help if the municipality thinks about an accessible walking route or an extra park bench where people can rest for a while. And you can also use a good social network in a neighborhood to combat loneliness to organize walking clubs to combat diabetes. By supporting informal carers – for example by temporarily taking over care – they are better able to continue caring for their loved ones and the burden on professional care is reduced. These examples show how important municipalities and the social domain are to smartly and concretely bring better health for all Dutch people closer in their neighbourhood, municipality or region.
More connection between social and medical
State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (VWS): “Together, municipalities, insurers and GGDs can provide more connections between the social domain and the medical domains, so that people who need it can be helped together smarter and better. The fact that we have made agreements with this agreement about the concrete results we want to achieve in the coming years towards a fit, healthy and resilient society is very good news. More health naturally ensures a more pleasant life in the first place. But it also reduces the number of sick people and the pressure on healthcare in the Netherlands.”
Promising start and fall prevention
The main purpose of the agreements is to promote and maintain the physical and mental health of people from the very beginning. To achieve the healthy generation in 2040, the focus among young people is on more sports, healthy food and plenty of exercise. Reducing health inequalities requires extra attention. Especially in the first 1000 days of children growing up in a vulnerable situation. Good guidance and support through the Promising Start program can make a difference here. Approximately € 20 million per year will be available for this in the coming period. With regard to adults and the elderly, the focus is, among other things, on creating a healthy physical living environment that invites people to exercise and socialize, a healthy lifestyle and strengthening mental resilience and mental health. Work is also being done on fall prevention and (maintaining) the vitality of the increasing number of elderly people. Approximately €50 million is structurally available per year for fall prevention.
Health in all policy areas
The aim of the GALA agreements is that activities reinforce each other as much as possible. For example, more joint exercise in the context of fall prevention can simultaneously make an important contribution to combating loneliness and, of course, also to achieving a healthy weight. To promote exercise and social contact in a neighbourhood, a safe and healthy living environment is of great importance. This is also part of the GALA agreements based on the principle that health is important in all policy areas.
Less administrative burden
Applying for and accounting for these resources is greatly simplified with the GALA. Instead of 15 different schemes, there is now one broad specific benefit for municipalities. Here, municipalities can apply for and account for money for plans that fall under the GALA as well as under the Main Lines of Sports Agreement II.