GENEVA – Curaçao Minister of Health, Environment and Nature Tyron Boekhoudt actively participated this week in the 79th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva as part of the delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The World Health Assembly is considered the world’s most important global public health platform.
During the working visit, Minister Boekhoudt took part in several high-level meetings, bilateral consultations and international sessions focused on major global health issues, including pandemic preparedness, healthcare financing, prevention, access to medication and healthcare system reforms.
Minister Boekhoudt
One of the key events attended by the minister was a meeting organized by Dutch Ambassador Erica Schouten under the theme “Health Security, Pandemic Preparedness & Resilience.” Representatives from the World Health Organization, the European Union, Spain, Australia, Rwanda, the Netherlands, Curaçao and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention participated in the discussions.
During the meetings, Minister Boekhoudt emphasized the importance of international solidarity and cooperation between countries, particularly for small island nations like Curaçao that remain vulnerable to global public health developments.
The minister also delivered two major speeches on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in his role as Head of Delegation.
During the plenary session of the World Health Assembly, Boekhoudt addressed growing geopolitical tensions, pressure on multilateral cooperation and the importance of resilient healthcare systems.
In his remarks, he stressed that health threats such as Ebola, Hantavirus, natural disasters, cyberattacks and infectious diseases do not recognize borders and can only be addressed through strong international cooperation and a strong World Health Organization.
Minister Boekhoudt also delivered a speech on Global Health Financing during a meeting co-organized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Indonesia.
In that address, he warned about the global healthcare financing crisis and the risks it poses to universal healthcare and pandemic preparedness. He stated that investing in strong healthcare systems and international cooperation is no longer optional, but a necessity.
The minister specifically referred to lessons learned from COVID-19, Hantavirus outbreaks and the current Ebola situation.
In addition, Minister Boekhoudt held an important bilateral meeting with the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
During those talks, several concrete cooperation initiatives between Curaçao and PAHO were discussed, including:
- An evaluation of Curaçao’s basic health insurance package (BVZ);
- Technical support for implementing the HEARTS program focused on prevention and primary healthcare;
- Curaçao’s participation in the Strategic Fund for joint medicine procurement;
- Technical assistance for healthcare reform and strengthening Curaçao’s healthcare system;
- The preparation of a future Country Cooperation Strategy between Curaçao and PAHO.
According to the ministry, Curaçao’s active participation at the World Health Assembly reflects the island’s ambition to position itself internationally as a “small island reform case” in the areas of prevention, accessible healthcare, sustainable healthcare financing and global health security.