ODA Spending


How much ODA does the Netherlands allocate to global health?


The Netherlands was the 13th-largest OECD DAC donor to health in 2021. Health ODA made up 11% of total Dutch ODA in 2021, putting it in 21st place in relative terms.



How is global health ODA from the Netherlands changing?


The Netherlands’ total ODA to health in 2021 was US$594 million, making it the 13th-largest OECD DAC donor to health. Part of the additional ODA for upcoming years will go towards the COVAX pillar of the ACT-A and implementing the Dutch Global Health Strategy, which lays out the goal of eliminating TB and HIV by 2030.


 


How does the Netherlands allocate global health ODA?


Bilateral Spending


Bilateral health ODA decreased by 14% between 2020 and 2021.


The increase in ODA to multilateral institutions and initiatives, as well as the global health strategy's focus on global health architecture and transnational health-related issues, such as pandemic preparedness and climate change impacts on health, seems to indicate a shift from the Netherlands’ focus on bilateral health ODA funding.



Multilateral Spending and Commitments


The Dutch government has recognized health multilaterals as key to the global COVID-19 response, as well as the fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria. On November 11, 2022, the Netherlands pledged EUR10 million ( US$11 million) to the new Pandemic Fund established at the G20 conference in Bali, Indonesia to help countries finance their pandemic preparedness.


The top multilateral recipients of the Netherlands’ health ODA in 2021 were the Global Fund (10%), EU Institutions (6%), and Gavi (2%).


At the 7th replenishment of the Global Fund in September 2022, the Netherlands pledged an increase of 15% compared to earlier commitments, leading to a total contribution of EUR180 million ( US$189 million) for 2023-2025. This pledge makes the Global Fund the largest recipient of Dutch global health development funding. On November 18, 2022, during a deep dive dialogue at the UNAIDS Global Center in Geneva, the Netherlands pledged an extra EUR3 million ( US$3 million) to UNAIDS, an increase in funding of 15%, and a multi-year agreement to secure UNAIDS funding for 2023-2025.


The Dutch contribution to the WHO for 2022/2023 is EUR4 million ( US$4 million) and will focus on strengthening the Netherlands’ partnership with WHO for 2024-2028. The increased funds will also go to the World Bank’s new GFF, to increase international pandemic preparedness.


On December 20, 2022, the Netherlands also pledged over EUR86 million ( US$91 million) as part of the Product Development Partnerships of five NGOs between 2023-2027 to address global health challenges: IAVI, GARDP, EVI, FIND, and DNDi.


On December 2, 2022, the Netherlands reserved EUR9 million ( US$9 million) over 2023-2025 to promote agreements on SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, including health and safety in the workplace, by supporting trade unions and employers’ organizations’ social dialogue capacity in nine focus countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa, and Vietnam.


The Netherlands is expected to host the second World Local Production Forum in 2023. This is an initiative by WHO where government leaders, member states, industry, technology experts, civil society, UN agencies and other stakeholders will gather to discuss and propose actions on key challenges for sustainable local production of quality health products globally.



Funding & Policy Outlook


What is the current government's outlook on global health ODA?


On October 21, 2022, the Dutch government adopted the first national Global Health Strategy for 2023-2030. The strategy outlines three priority areas: global health architecture, international pandemic preparedness, and the relationship between climate change and public health. Complementary to the Dutch Global Health Strategy, the third action plan of the Netherlands’ development policy coherence, published on November 25, 2022, mentions that the Netherlands will focus on promoting equal access to knowledge in the field of vaccine and drug production to reduce global health inequality.


The strategy also outlines the government’s increased financial commitments, steadily increasing from an additional EUR106 million ( US$112 million) allocated for 2023 to EUR125 million ( US$132 million) for 2026.


The MFA and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport will operationalize the strategy. In addition to working on global health measures within the EU, the Netherlands will also set up an interdepartmental steering committee to promote coherent government policy, and a Dutch Global Health Hub to promote collaboration between the government, business, academia, and civil society.


The Dutch government is a global leader in SRHR. Funding for SRHR CSOs in 2021-2025 will be channeled through the SRHR Partnership Fund, which received EUR315 million ( US$373 million) for the period.


Additionally, the Netherlands has been a long-standing supporter of multilaterals, such as the GFF and UNFPA. In September 2018, the Netherlands also committed to a contribution of EUR59 million ( US$70 million) between 2018-2023 to the GFF in support of Every Woman Every Child, a financing mechanism that works to mobilize financing for government investment plans in health care for women, children, and adolescents. The Netherlands topped up its SRHR contribution by an additional EUR10 million (US$12 million) in May 2021; this specific funding was intended for family planning projects, which UNFPA and GFF will implement.


Former Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Tom de Bruijn submitted a letter to parliament on December 6, 2021, describing the Dutch government’s approach to the global COVID-19 response. The approach has included making pledges to organizations within the ACT-A, including CEPI, COVAX, GFF, the Global Fund, WHO, and FIND.


Key Bodies



| Global health R&D is also important to addressing many of the global health challenges that disproportionately affect the world’s most disadvantaged people. For more information on how donor countries are supporting global health R&D across three main areas — 1) EIDs; 2) PRNDs; and 3) SRH — read the excellent G-Finder reports and explore the interactive data portal created by Policy Cures Research. Not all funding mentioned in these analyses qualifies as ODA. |


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