Caribbean Health Research
Background
The health of the Caribbean population within the Kingdom lags behind that of the population in the Netherlands. For example, residents of Aruba, and even more so of Curaçao, experience higher rates of preventable deaths—deaths that could have been avoided with timely and effective healthcare, preventive measures, and public health interventions. It is therefore essential to improve the health and well-being of residents on the ABCSSS islands.
In response to the increasing demand for better health for the Caribbean population, ZonMw conducted an in-depth assessment to identify the opportunities and challenges of a Caribbean-focused program. This assessment revealed that each island faces unique health and well-being challenges, along with specific inequalities. Following this exploration, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS) and the Directorate of Health and Youth Caribbean Netherlands (ZJCN), ZonMw has committed to establishing a pilot program, Caribbean Health Research.
Objective
The program aims to increase knowledge about health and well-being, initiate the strengthening of the knowledge infrastructure, and contribute to improving healthcare quality on the ABCSSS islands. This approach seeks to reduce existing health disparities both within the islands and between the islands and the Netherlands. Our goal is to establish a sustainable foundation for future developments in the region’s healthcare and infrastructure, incorporating medical, social, and societal factors.
Research lines
The program will focus on 2 main research lines:
- Strengthening local public health and well-being.
- Strengthening the organization of healthcare.
The program aims to support both applied research and action-oriented projects, with a primary focus on strengthening local public health. Due to limited resources, long-term projects are not feasible, so this program will focus on short-term projects with a maximum duration of 2 years.
The first call for proposals will be opening soon, targeting the enhancement of local public health. Please keep an eye on the funding calendar for further details.