List of ministers of health of the Netherlands

Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands
Minister van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Incumbent Conny Helder since 10 January 2024; 3 months ago (2024-01-10)
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
Style	His/Her Excellency
Member of	Council of Ministers
Appointer	The Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister
Formation	15 September 1951; 72 years ago (1951-09-15)
First holder	Dolf Joekes as Minister of Social Affairs and Health
Deputy	Conny Helder as Minister without Portfolio Maarten van Ooijen as State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport
Salary	€157,287 (As of 2017[update]) (including €4,193 of expenses)
Website	Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport

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The minister of health, well-being and sport (Dutch: Minister van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport) is the head of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. The incumbent minister is Conny Helder of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) who has been in office since 10 January 2024. Regularly, a state secretary is assigned to the ministry who is tasked with specific portfolios. The current state secretary is Maarten van Ooijen of the Christian Union (CU) party who also has been in office since 10 January 2022 and has been assigned the portfolios of youth care and preventive care. Occasionally there is also a minister without portfolio assigned to the ministry who is also giving specific portfolios. The current minister without portfolio is Pia Dijkstra of D66, who has been in office since 2 February 2024 and has been assigned the medical care portfolio.

List of ministers of health

Minister of Social Affairs and Health			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Dolf Joekes (1885–1962)	15 September 1951 – 2 September 1952	Labour Party	Willem Drees (Drees I) [1]
		Ko Suurhoff (1905–1967)	2 September 1952 – 22 December 1958	Labour Party	Willem Drees (Drees II • III) [2][3]
		Dr. Louis Beel (Prime Minister) (1902–1985)	22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959	Catholic People's Party	Louis Beel (Beel II) [4]
		Dr. Charles van Rooy (1912–1996)	19 May 1959 – 3 July 1961 [Res]	Catholic People's Party	Jan de Quay (De Quay) [5]
		Victor Marijnen (1917–1975)	3 July 1961 – 17 July 1961 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Gerard Veldkamp (1921–1990)	17 July 1961 – 5 April 1967	Catholic People's Party
					Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) [6]
					Jo Cals (Cals) [7]
					Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) [8]
		Bauke Roolvink (1912–1979)	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Piet de Jong (De Jong) [9]
Minister of Health and Environment			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Louis Stuyt (1914–2000)	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II) [10]
		Irene Vorrink (1918–1996)	11 May 1973 – 19 December 1977	Labour Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl) [11]
		Dr. Leendert Ginjaar (1928–2003)	19 December 1977 – 11 September 1981	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I) [12]
		Til Gardeniers- Berendsen (1925–2019)	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982	Christian Democratic Appeal	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III) [13][14]
Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Elco Brinkman (born 1948)	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I • II) [15][16]
		Hedy d'Ancona (born 1937)	7 November 1989 – 16 July 1994 [Res]	Labour Party	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) [17]
		Dr. Jo Ritzen (born 1945)	16 July 1994 – 22 August 1994 [Acting] [Minister]	Labour Party
Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Els Borst (1932–2014) [Deputy]	22 August 1994 – 22 July 2002	Democrats 66	Wim Kok (Kok I • II) [18][19]
		Dr. Eduard Bomhoff (born 1944) [Deputy]	22 July 2002 – 16 October 2002 [Res]	Pim Fortuyn List	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I) [20]
		Aart Jan de Geus (born 1955)	16 October 2002 – 27 May 2003 [Acting] [Minister]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Hans Hoogervorst (born 1956)	27 May 2003 – 22 February 2007	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende II • III) [21][22]
		Dr. Ab Klink (born 1958)	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV) [23]
		Edith Schippers (born 1964)	14 October 2010 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte I • II) [24][25]
		Hugo de Jonge (born 1977) [Deputy]	26 October 2017 – 10 January 2022	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte III) [26]
		Dr. Ernst Kuipers (born 1959)	10 January 2022 – 10 January 2024 [Res]	Democrats 66	Mark Rutte (Rutte IV) [27]
		Conny Helder (born 1958)	10 January 2024 – Incumbent	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

^Resigned

^Acting

^{Ad Interim}

^{Deputy Prime Minister}

^{Deputy Prime Minister from 1998 until 2002}

^{Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries}

^{Minister of Education and Sciences}

^{Minister of Social Affairs and Employment}

^{Resigned following election to the European Parliament}

List of ministers without portfolio

Ministers without Portfolio			Portfolio	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		André Rouvoet (born 1962) [Deputy]	• Youth Care • Family Policy	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010 [Minister]	Christian Union	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV) [23]
Vacant
		Bruno Bruins (born 1963)	• Medical Ethics • Pharmaceutical Policy • Sport • Corona Management (Bruins only)	26 October 2017 – 19 March 2020 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte III) [26]
		Martin van Rijn (born 1956) [28]		23 March 2020 – 9 July 2020	Independent (Labour Party) [29]
		Tamara van Ark (born 1974)		9 July 2020 – 3 September 2021 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Conny Helder (born 1958)	• Primary Healthcare • Long-term care • Sport	10 January 2022 – 10 January 2024	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte IV) [27]
		Pia Dijkstra (born 1954)	• Medical Ethics • Health insurance • Pharmaceutical Policy • Corona Management	2 February 2024 – Incumbent	Democrats 66

^Resigned

^{Minister of Education, Culture and Science in 2010}

List of state secretaries for health

State Secretary for Social Affairs			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Piet Muntendam (1901–1986)	• Elderly Care • Disability Policy	1 April 1950 – 15 September 1951	Labour Party	Willem Drees (Drees–Van Schaik) [30][1]
		Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986)	• Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services	15 February 1950 – 15 September 1951	Labour Party
State Secretary for Social Affairs and Health			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Piet Muntendam (1901–1986)	• Elderly Care • Disability Policy	15 September 1951 – 1 October 1953 [Res]	Labour Party	Willem Drees (Drees I • II) [1][2]
		Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986)	• Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services	15 September 1951 – 22 December 1958	Labour Party	Willem Drees (Drees I • II • III) [1][2][3]
Vacant
		Bauke Roolvink (1912–1979)	• Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services	15 June 1959 – 24 July 1963	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Jan de Quay (De Quay) [5]
		Dr. Louis Bartels (1915–2002)	• Medical Ethics	3 September 1963 – 5 April 1967	Catholic People's Party	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) [6]
						Jo Cals (Cals) [7]
						Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) [8]
		Dr. José de Meijer (1915–2000)	• Occupational Safety • Public Organisations	15 November 1963 – 5 April 1967	Catholic People's Party	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) [6]
						Jo Cals (Cals) [7]
						Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) [8]
		Dr. Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	• Medical Ethics	18 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Christian Historical Union	Piet de Jong (De Jong) [9]
Vacant
State Secretary for Health and Environment			Portfolio	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Jo Hendriks (1923–2001)	• Elderly Care • Disability Policy	11 May 1973 – 19 December 1977	Catholic People's Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl) [11]
		Els Veder-Smit (1921–2020)	• Medical Ethics • Food Policy	3 January 1978 – 11 September 1981	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I) [12]
		Ineke Lambers- Hacquebard (1946–2014)	• Environmental Policy • Food Policy	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982	Democrats 66	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III) [13][14]
State Secretary for Welfare, Health and Culture			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Joop van der Reijden (1927–2006)	• Medical Ethics	5 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I) [15]
		Dick Dees (born 1944)	• Primary Healthcare • Social Services	14 July 1986 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers II) [16]
		Hans Simons (1947–2019)	• Elderly Care • Youth Care • Disability Policy	7 November 1989 – 26 February 1994 [Res]	Labour Party	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) [17]
State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Erica Terpstra (born 1943)	• Social Services • Elderly Care • Youth Care • Disability Policy • Minorities • Food Policy • Recreation • Sport	22 August 1994 – 28 June 1998	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok I) [18]
		Margo Vliegenthart (born 1958)	• Elderly Care • Youth Care • Disability Policy • Pharmaceutical Policy • Sport	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002	Labour Party	Wim Kok (Kok II) [19]
		Clémence Ross- van Dorp (born 1957)	• Medical Ethics • Sport	22 July 2002 – 22 February 2007	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I • II • III) [20][21][22]
		Dr. Jet Bussemaker (born 1961)	• Medical Ethics • Sport	22 February 2007 – 23 February 2010 [Res]	Labour Party	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV) [23]
		Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten (born 1953)	• Medical Ethics • Pharmaceutical Policy	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I) [24]
		Martin van Rijn (born 1956)	• Medical Ethics • Pharmaceutical Policy	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party	Mark Rutte (Rutte II) [25]
		Paul Blokhuis (born 1963)	• Social Services • Disability Policy	26 October 2017 – 10 January 2022	Christian Union	Mark Rutte (Rutte III) [26]
		Maarten van Ooijen (born 1990)	• Youth Care • Preventive Care	10 January 2022 – Incumbent	Christian Union	Mark Rutte (Rutte IV) [27]

^Resigned

See also

• Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport

References