Soa Aids Nederland has welcomed the Dutch coalition agreement presented on January 30 by D66, VVD, and CDA, highlighting the increased investments in international cooperation and the government’s stronger focus on prevention in healthcare. The organisation stresses that this is an important opportunity for the Netherlands to reclaim its leadership role in sexual health, both nationally and globally.
The new government’s emphasis on international cooperation and the Dutch global health strategy is particularly crucial given past funding cuts by countries like the United States and the Netherlands itself under the previous cabinet, which have negatively impacted the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Soa Aids Nederland notes that these reductions have led to more babies being born with HIV and warned of the potential for millions of additional infections if funding and access to care are not strengthened.
Director Mark Vermeulen emphasized that the Netherlands’ historic leadership in HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual rights is needed now more than ever. He called for increased government investment in access to care and the protection of vulnerable groups affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly in light of recent international setbacks such as the Trump administration’s funding cuts for diversity, transgender care, and reproductive health, which also hinder HIV prevention and treatment.
Domestically, Soa Aids Nederland welcomed the cabinet’s recognition of knowledge institutes in sexual and reproductive health and emphasized the importance of preventive measures. Rising STI rates and a plateau in new HIV infections highlight the need for greater access to HIV prevention tools like PrEP and comprehensive STI care at public health services. Strengthening these services is critical to reducing transmission, achieving zero new HIV infections, and avoiding higher long-term healthcare costs.
The organisation also expressed concern about announced healthcare cuts and increased mandatory out-of-pocket costs. Vermeulen explained that higher costs may discourage individuals from seeking STI testing, leading to delayed diagnoses, more infections, and greater strain on sexual health services. Preventive care measures, including PrEP and low-threshold STI services, are cost-effective and prevent future, more expensive treatments. Restricting the basic health insurance package could also impede the introduction of new treatments and innovations. Soa Aids Nederland intends to closely monitor the impact of these developments on people living with or at risk of HIV and STIs.
