On Wednesday evening, April 2, 2025, the WHIG (Working Group on Family Medicine & International Healthcare) the WHIG Spring Symposium 2025, entitled ‘New to the Netherlands?’. The symposium took place in Utrecht and focused on current issues within general medicine and traveller medicine, with a particular focus on care in an international and diverse context. Knowledge Centre Global Health (KCGH) supported the symposium both practically and financially.
The meeting was attended by 59 attendees, including 54 participants and 4 sprekers en de dagvoorzitter. Of the 65 applications, 57 final registrations resulted, representing an attendance of about 83%. The audience consisted mainly of general practitioners, general practitioners in training, doctors of international health and tropical medicine (AIGTs) and other professionals with an interest in international general medicine, migration and traveller counselling.
The content programme consisted of three lectures around themes that are becoming increasingly relevant in GPs' daily practice. Nadia Oeij (paediatrician and chairman of the North Holland regional network of EKANN) discussed the care of refugee children and showed how the centre of expertise can support GPs, not only in individual patient care but also in broader social issues surrounding the reception of newcomers.
In an interactive session, they reflected Sawitri Saharso (University of Humanistics) and Saartje Tack (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) together with the participants on culture- and gender-specific dilemmas in the consulting room. Case histories were used to reflect on themes such as freedom of decision, contraception, domestic violence and marital coercion, inviting participants to take a critical look at their own assumptions and action perspectives.
In conclusion, it gave Quirijn de Mast (internist-infectiologist and chair of the LCR broad working group) gave a substantive and practice-oriented lecture on the new dengue vaccine. Using case studies, he discussed indications, mode of action and considerations surrounding vaccination, translating this to the daily practice of traveller counselling.
In addition to the lectures, there was a short pitch on EZONN, the expertise network on care for newcomers in the Netherlands. Between the programme sections and during the joint dinner and drinks, there was plenty of room for meeting and exchange between participants and speakers. Evaluations indicated that the symposium was perceived as strong, relevant and inspiring in terms of content.
Although attendance was slightly lower than hoped for - possibly partly due to concurrence with other GP events in the same week and the move to a new location - the evening was considered very successful. The organisers will take the evaluation points on board towards a next edition, with an extra focus on regional spread and timing.
With thanks to chairman of the day Addy van der Woude for connecting and energising the programme, to Seats2Meet Utrecht CS for the welcoming venue and catering, and to all participants for their active contribution.
This symposium was part of KCGH-supported NSGH working group activities aimed at promoting knowledge exchange and multidisciplinary cooperation within the Dutch and international global-health field.
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