Programme
Health effects of slavery: The knock-on effects of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery on the health of descendants and the health care system
Alana-Helberg-Proctor, PhD, MScPH
In recent years, more attention has been paid in the Netherlands to how the colonial era and the history of slavery play a role in our society today. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport commissioned a study specifically focusing on the impact of Dutch transatlantic slavery on the health of descendants of enslaved people. To this end, the University of Amsterdam conducted literature research, and spoke to some 30 experts from Dutch academia, the healthcare sector, and civil society. The research shows that descendants are in a sense ‘doubly burdened’: they carry experiences and effects of ancestors from the slavery past, and they often also have negative experiences of racism and discrimination themselves in contemporary Dutch society.
Speakers
Dr Alana Helberg-Proctor is an interdisciplinary social scientist and associate professor of anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on diversity and (im)equality in contemporary and historical health care and medical science, with a specific focus on ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ in biomedical research, policy and care in the Netherlands and Europe. In 2025, she conducted research for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport on the impact of the transatlantic colonial past and slavery in the health of descendants and the Dutch healthcare system. She is also involved in the KNAW's KMK consortium researching colonial history.
Dutch
English