Senior leadership of the Netherlands government and the World Health Organization reaffirmed their longstanding partnership in promoting and protecting the health of people worldwide during a meeting on 30 September 2026. 

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked Mr Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, for the Netherlands' continued leadership on shared priorities, including health security, emergency preparedness and response, resilient health systems, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The partnership reflects the Netherlands' Global Health Strategy 2023–2030, which recognizes that protecting global health also helps protect health in the Netherlands.

Dr Tedros welcomed the Netherlands' continued commitment to flexible and predictable financing, which strengthens WHO's capacity to prepare for and respond to health emergencies worldwide. Dutch support contributes to, amongst others, WHO's work in Gaza, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helping deliver essential health services, disease surveillance, outbreak control and medical supplies.