Health minister Agema promises to invest money in pandemic preparation

Health Minister Fleur Agema promises to invest money in a program to prepare the Netherlands for a future pandemic. A cut of 300 million euros in the pandemic preparation program agreed in the framework agreement is causing concern, including among the umbrella organization GGD GHOR Nederland. The minister promises to look for “alternative financing options”, she wrote on X. The health minister assured that the program will continue in 2025.

Concerns arose again on Thursday when Agema clarified in a parliamentary letter what exactly the cuts would look like. “I am aware that the cuts to the pandemic preparedness program are undesirable,” the minister said. Nevertheless, Agema does not say what alternative options she is considering to keep the program financially afloat.

Next year, there will be no new policy to prepare for future pandemics, but the plans already in place will continue. By mid-2025, the minister aims to provide more clarity on the impact of cuts for 2026 and beyond.

The umbrella organization had already expressed concern about the planned cuts. Agemas' plans would mean that the Netherlands would not be well prepared in the event of another pandemic. “The new cabinet is ignoring the lessons learned from the corona pandemic and is deliberately cutting back on pandemic preparedness,” the umbrella organization told NU.nl. This is irresponsible and "inexplicable", according to GGD GHOR Nederland chairman André Rouvoet.

After the coronavirus pandemic, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) also concluded that the Dutch healthcare system and government were not well prepared for the long-standing pandemic, Nu.nl reports. “The crisis structure and crisis communication proved to be inadequate.” Therefore, it is necessary for the Netherlands to improve its approach to such crises, according to the OVV.

Agema pointed out that the Cabinet is working on a new “resilience policy” under the leadership of the National Counter-Terrorism and Security Coordinator (NCTV). The cuts to pandemic preparedness will also be discussed.