Organisation

ZonMw and health

Everyone is concerned with health in some way or other. We all eat, exercise, rest, go to the dentist, consult our doctor or another medical professional when necessary and, even as we grow older, try to stay as healthy as possible. We are responsible for our own health to a certain extent; a good lifestyle can help keep all kinds of health problems at bay. But we also depend on circumstances over which we have little or no control: genetic predisposition, accidents and injury, pollution – all these things have an impact on our health.

It is ZonMw’s goal to ensure that healthy people stay that way for as long as possible, that ill people recover as quickly and completely as possible and that people who require care and nursing receive the highest standard of services. To achieve this, we need to focus on prevention: on stopping people from becoming ill. And we need good health care for people who nevertheless fall ill.

The question ZonMw faces is how to improve disease prevention and health care. One thing is clear: you need a lot of knowledge, and therefore a lot of research. And it is important that people actually use that knowledge. With this in mind, ZonMw funds and promotes research, development and implementation.