A broad coalition of government agencies, health organisations, scientific institutes, companies, and partnerships published a joint action agenda for a healthier South Holland. This so-called “Delta Action Agenda” was introduced on Thursday 13 November at the Festival Gezond Verstand (Common Sense Festival) in The Hague.
The Delta Action Agenda focuses on three areas: a healthy food environment, vital and resilient residents, and a healthy living environment. To this end, three courses of action are being pursued: connecting areas and disciplines, identifying and addressing health challenges, and promoting the upscaling of proven effective solutions.
The complete Delta Action Agenda can be found here.
One of the concrete actions is the introduction of an upscaling subsidy. The website gezondzuidholland.nl has also been revamped with user cases, useful tools and information to help organisations collaborate and roll out successful health initiatives.
Delta Action Agenda utilises knowledge and expertise from South Holland
South Holland has significant health disparities, a low average level of health, and is experiencing increasing pressure on healthcare providers and the healthcare system. At the same time, South Holland has a strong knowledge sector, committed municipalities, leaders in healthcare and innovation, and a growing awareness that cooperation is essential.
This is the context in which the Delta Action Agenda came into being – a joint movement involving knowledge institutions, healthcare organisations, businesses and government bodies, initiated by Medical Delta and supported by the Province of South Holland. The Delta Action Agenda aims to connect existing and new initiatives. It brings science, policy, and practice together so that research better responds to practical questions, innovations actually find their way into healthcare, and cooperation becomes the norm rather than fragmentation.
“The Delta Action Agenda is a start. In the coming period, we will further develop it with partners from the region,” say Prof. Sanne de Vries, chair of Medical Delta, and Mariëtte van Leeuwen, deputy for Health and Welfare at the Province of South Holland. “That is why we are making a joint appeal: join us. But above all, let's make sure this remains a real action agenda. No words, but deeds. Together, we will make South Holland healthier, more innovative and more future-proof.”
Concrete actions for a healthier South Holland
The Healthy Society Programme, a joint programme of Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities, Medical Delta and the Province of South Holland, provides resources to scale up proven effective health solutions.
This is done in collaboration with experts, developers and (end) users in order to effectively connect the parties and accelerate the implementation of innovations. The aim is to ensure that what proves to work well in, for example, a municipality, neighbourhood or healthcare institution, is scaled up more quickly to other areas.
The website gezondzuidholland.nl has also been revamped. It brings together scientific and practical knowledge and experts, tools and inspiring examples from across South Holland as a starting point for healthy policy, action, and behaviour.
In addition, suggestions such as “health in all policies and contracts” will be put to policymakers, and existing partnerships and innovation clusters will actively seek opportunities for closer cooperation.
About the Delta Action Agenda
At the Festival Gezond Verstand (Common Sense Festival) 2024 and in the months that followed, the Province of South Holland and the Medical Delta partnership joined forces to realise their ambition for a healthy South Holland.
In April 2025, during the annual Medical Delta working conference, in collaboration with Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities (LDE) and Zuid-Holland Impact Alliance (ZHIA), the first step was taken to give substance and direction to the Delta Action Agenda with the regional network. With the help and input of these and dozens of other organisations, the Delta Action Agenda was established.
Also read the interview with initiators Irene Voskamp – ter Borg (Province of South Holland) and Marijke Will-Janssen (Medical Delta) about the creation of the Delta Action Agenda.
Cover photo: Beleef het en eet het
Photo Sanne de Vries and Mariëtte van Leeuwen: Province of South Holland / Sander Foederer