Queen Maxima at the Launch of the GelijkGezond Foundation
Photo: Patrick van Katwijk
Queen Maxima attended the launch of the GelijkGezond foundation, which works to give people with lower incomes more healthy years of life and reduce health inequalities.
Queen Maxima and Health Minister Sophie Hermans attended the launch of the GelijkGezond foundation. The organisation works to give people with lower incomes more healthy years of life, reduce health inequalities and strengthen basic security of existence.
The background is stark: people with lower incomes have 21 fewer healthy years of life and live on average eight years less than people with higher incomes. Social problems, health complaints and debt create stress and reinforce each other. Because the problems are often too complex for the regular system, many people fall through the cracks.
Queen Maxima talking with participants at the launch of GelijkGezond. Photo: Patrick van Katwijk
GelijkGezond works with so-called "doorbijters" (persistent professionals) who, together with the affected residents, tackle their problems and collaborate with GPs and social domain workers, among others.
Queen Maxima with participants and staff at the launch of GelijkGezond. Photo: Patrick van Katwijk