GezondZuidHolland.nl: Bridge between policy and research

The new platform Gezondzuidholland.nl has been launched. This website is the first to combine geographical maps of health and the living environment on a local and regional scale, and it provides access to a local network of professionals. On GezondZuidHolland.nl, you can find background information, facts, figures, and policy ideas for each health theme.

Additionally, the website offers an overview of names and contact details of colleagues active in specific health themes, making it easier to collaborate on improving the health and well-being of all residents of South Holland. This is crucial, as the province of South Holland has the lowest average healthy life expectancy in the Netherlands, and the health disparities here are also the largest.

GezondZuidHolland.nl was developed by the Healthy Society program of Medical Delta and Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities, along with the Province of South Holland.

Insight into Local and Regional Differences

On GezondZuidHolland.nl, you will find interactive maps at the municipality, district, and neighborhood levels. These maps allow you to visualize the local situation (per health theme) based on key figures. You can also compare the situation with other municipalities that are either comparable or different in certain aspects, potentially prompting collegial exchanges about circumstances and policy choices. For instance, the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL) is currently exploring a link between the interactive digital atlas of the IKNL and the interactive maps of Gezondzuidholland.nl. This cancer atlas shows how regions perform in relation to the national average for 24 types of cancer.

Up-to-date Information

GezondZuidHolland.nl is kept up-to-date by the project team in various ways: all data sources are updated when new data becomes available, and input is gathered during meet-ups with scientists, policy makers, GGD staff, and health professionals from the network. Successful new interventions are also regularly added to the site.

Join Us!

Are you involved in or interested in working on health themes such as exercise-friendliness, noise, health disparities, green spaces and health, air quality, mental health, social cohesion, and food environment? Visit GezondZuidHolland.nl and join the network. Follow the Healthy Society Hub on LinkedIn or sign up for the Healthy Society newsletter for updates from the Healthy Society program.