Slavery is still impacting the health of descendants of enslaved people. To address this phenomenon, a special think tank will propose ways of redressing the impact of slavery on health.

Study into the health effects of slavery

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) commissioned a study into how slavery and its historical legacy continues to negatively impact the health and welfare of descendants of enslaved people.
The study (Gezondheidseffecten van slavernij (‘Health effects of slavery’), in Dutch only) found that descendants are affected in the following ways:

  • they carry the effects of their ancestors’ slavery with them;
  • they often experience racism and discrimination first hand in Dutch society.

This can cause long-term stress, which in turn can lead to physical complaints and illness. This combination of negative experiences can also cause people to lose trust in the healthcare system and even to avoid seeking care.

Think tank on interventions for redressing the impact of slavery on health

In March 2026 a think tank was set up to advise on measures that may help in the process of healing and redress. The government will use the think tank’s findings to develop policy and pilot projects.
The members of the think tank have knowledge and experience in the fields of:

  • the health and welfare of Afro-Dutch people;
  • the consequences of slavery and its historical legacy;
  • the impact of intergenerational trauma.

In setting up the think tank, care was taken to ensure a good balance between academic expertise and practical and personal experience. People’s mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing was also a key focus.

Think tank members

  • Charles Agyemang – Professor of Global Migration, Ethnicity and Health at Amsterdam University Hospital
  • Geneviève Koolhaas-Martis – general practitioner and chair of the Association of Dutch Women Doctors
  • Efraïm Hart – doctor, medical training adviser and PhD researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • Meredith Overman – cultural and medical anthropologist and lecturer at Amsterdam University Hospital
  • Glenn Helberg – child and youth psychologist and transcultural psychiatrist.