News item | 04-11-2022 | 15:20
The government has approved the further elaboration of the pandemic preparedness policy programme. In total, this concerns an investment of 670 million euros up to and including 2026. Minister Kuipers of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) informs the House of Representatives in a letter of what measures he is taking and what actions he is taking to better prepare the Netherlands. prepare for a new pandemic.
In the COVID-19 pandemic, existing structures and practices have been put to the test and often proved inadequate. The government therefore wants to be better prepared for a future pandemic. Lessons are drawn from, among other things, studies and advice from the Dutch Safety Board and the Scientific Council for Government Policy. The large-scale pandemic preparedness policy program is an elaboration of the coalition agreement. This concerns an extensive package of measures aimed at strengthening infectious disease control and healthcare. In the coming years, the program will be further expanded and investments will rise to €300 million annually.
More central control
In 2023, an extra €9 million will go to the establishment of a National Infection Control Functionality (LFI) at RIVM, on top of the structural €10 million that has been made available for this. From mid-2023, the LFI will take on the coordinating role in the fight against a (next) pandemic. In this way, in times of crisis, decisive management can be conducted, with more central management by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport.
Strengthen GGD and better information provision
The GGDs strengthen their basic functions and are therefore better prepared for future control measures. Municipal health services will collaborate more intensively, with the aim of professional, efficient and uniform performance of tasks within infectious disease control. Extra attention is paid to training and promoting the expertise of employees. In this way, the quality and professionalism of the infectious disease control employees is maintained. More than € 37 million is available for the entire reinforcement program of the GGDs in both 2023 and 2024.
During the corona pandemic it quickly became clear that the existing information provision is not well equipped for pandemic control. In the coming years, therefore, together with RIVM, GGD GHOR Nederland and the GGDs, investments will be made in the design and use of ICT systems and information facilities that help combat a large-scale infectious disease outbreak more effectively. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, €16 million per year is available to get this process off to a good start.
Knowledge and innovation
Investing in knowledge and innovation is necessary to be prepared for pandemics. To this end, the government is drawing up a knowledge and innovation agenda. In anticipation of this, various studies have now been started, such as a TNO study into ventilation and virus spread. There is also a knowledge program at ZonMw about virus detection and prediction, and there is a program at RIVM about behavioral insights during a pandemic.
Healthcare staff
We are currently working on the scalability of healthcare in times of crisis. For example, extra doctors are trained in infectious disease control and 800 extra students can follow the Basic Acute Care training. The government is also strengthening infectious disease prevention and control in long-term care, for example by stimulating knowledge and training. In addition, the government is investing in the national health care reserve, with an amount rising to € 4.2 million in 2027.
Availability of medical products
Finally, programs have now been launched aimed at guaranteeing the availability of medical products in times of crisis, both nationally and internationally. Because better preparation for a pandemic can only be achieved by working together internationally.
The pandemic preparedness program is a first elaboration of the policy agenda that was published on 14 April 2022.