THE HAGUE - Dutch State Secretary Judith Tielen is visiting three Caribbean islands this week for a series of working visits and to attend the Special Olympic Kingdom Games, which will be held on Curaçao.

Focus on healthcare in Bonaire

On Tuesday, November 19, the focus on Bonaire will be the state of healthcare in the Caribbean Netherlands. Tielen will visit Fundashon Mariadal Hospital, the RIVM population screening team, general practitioners, youth care services, and Stichting Jeugdwerk Jong Bonaire. Special attention will be given to issues affecting women and young people.

Four-country meeting on mental health care

On Sint Maarten, Tielen will participate on Wednesday and Thursday in the Four-Country Public Health Meeting of the Kingdom. The agenda includes discussions on improving cooperation on compulsory mental health care across the four countries of the Kingdom.

Opening of the Special Olympic Kingdom Games on Curaçao

On Friday, November 21, Tielen will travel to Curaçao, where she will officially open the Special Olympic Kingdom Games. The sporting event brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities from all parts of the Kingdom.

Strengthening cooperation with Caribbean partners

Tielen emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with Caribbean counterparts:

“In recent years, I’ve felt a strong connection to healthcare in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom,” she said. “Now, as a government official, I can work directly with my Caribbean colleagues. We already collaborated on women’s health during the UN meeting in New York in September, and we are also working together to create more outdoor play areas on Saba and St. Eustatius.”

She added that improving women’s health is a central priority:

“Everywhere I go, I highlight the fact that women spend fewer years in good health than men. I will also address this during this visit. Together with Caribbean colleagues, I want to find ways to reduce these health disparities. Progress begins with good health — physical, mental, and social. When women fall behind, the whole society and economy are affected.”

Tielen’s visit highlights the growing cooperation within the Kingdom on health, social wellbeing, and inclusive sports.