Dutch gov’t won’t invest extra in women’s health until at least 2030, Minister says

Caretaker State Secretary for Prevention Judith Tielen does not plan to allocate extra government funding to women’s health before 2030. The VVD representative argues that, at present, additional investment should primarily be generated through other channels rather than from the Cabinet.

In a parliamentary debate on women’s health, multiple parties voiced criticism of last year’s National Strategy for Women’s Health, arguing that it lacks fresh initiatives and comes without extra funding. Lisa Vliegenthart of the GroenLinks–PvdA said Tielen was taking “the easy way out” by shifting much of the financial responsibility to insurers and employers.

“I think it’s too simplistic to assume the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport can just release funding,” the state secretary said. She argued that significant progress could be made if researchers, for instance, “shift their focus” and prioritize studies on women. SP representative Sarah Dobbe questioned whether Tielen truly acknowledges the magnitude of the issues.

MPs from the soon-to-be coalition of D66, VVD, and CDA declined to comment on extra funding for women’s health. Wieke Paulusma of D66 largely echoed the concerns of Dobbe and Vliegenthart, “yet I’m not going to provide any answers on financial matters at this time.”

Compared with men, women often get slower or no accurate diagnosis for health issues. While women tend to live longer, they experience fewer years of good health. One key reason is that nearly all medical and pharmaceutical studies have historically centered on men.

Most members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, believe women should also be told whether they have dense breast tissue. However, Tielen argues that this cannot be implemented yet, since there is currently no adequate follow-up testing available. MRI scans, which are suitable for examining dense breast tissue, are expected to become part of the national breast cancer screening program starting in 2030.

Dense breast tissue means that the breasts contain relatively more glandular and connective tissue and less fatty tissue. This makes it more difficult to spot tumors on a mammogram, which is the routine screening tool for breast cancer. Women with extremely dense breast tissue also face an increased risk of breast cancer.

Tielen calls the situation a “devil’s dilemma.” Although she would prefer to notify women earlier, she argues that doing so now would be problematic since there is no appropriate follow-up testing available. While women are free to arrange and pay for an MRI scan on their own, the costs would put it out of reach for some, which she considers inequitable.

Several MPs expressed astonishment at Tielen’s response, which, for Paulusma, echoed remarks previously made by her predecessor and party colleague Vincent Karremans. He had argued that women were better off not being told, as they might struggle to deal with the knowledge. Paulusma and Harmen Krul of the CDA disagree, maintaining that women deserve to be informed. “They are perfectly capable of dealing with that,” Paulusma said.

Tielen subsequently put forward another point, stating that evaluating breast tissue density is not presently included in the population-wide screening program. A number of MPs argued that it ought to become part of the examination. Tielen did not agree. There is a strong possibility that a motion with wide backing will be tabled on the matter.