About Wemos
Wemos is a Dutch foundation and independent global health advocacy organization based in Amsterdam. Founded in 1979 by Dutch medical students, it has since worked to structurally improve health worldwide by addressing the political and economic root causes of health inequity, rather than only the symptoms.
Wemos’ vision is “a world where we can all be as healthy as possible” and its mission is to “advocate structural change to achieve global health justice.” Global health justice, in their definition, means that everyone, everywhere, has a fair chance to be as healthy as possible, through well-funded, equitable health systems and protection against health threats.
Focus areas:
- Finance for health
- Access to medicines
- Human resources for health
- Dutch/global health policy
Collaborations with GHH-partners
NGOs & civil-society organizations:
- Amref Health Africa (Amref)
- Co-founder and partner in the Health Systems Advocacy Partnership (HSAP), a Dutch-government-funded programme (2015–2020) with Amref, Health Action International (HAI), Wemos and ACHEST, aimed at strengthening health systems for SRHR in sub-Saharan Africa. | Source: amref.nl
- Health Action International (HAI)
- HSAP partner (see above).
- Co-leader with Wemos in the “Enabling Access: Medical Innovations for All” (also called “Enabling Access to Medical Innovations for All”) consortium, funded by Unitaid and led by Wemos. This 4-year project (from 2024) focuses on creating an enabling environment for global access to medical innovations, especially in LMICs. | Source: Wemos ; HAI
- Joint research and advocacy on transparency and fair pricing of medicines, e.g. a 2025 report showing that most governments lag behind on implementing WHO’s transparency resolution. | Source: Wemos
- VSO Netherlands (VSO)
- Wemos is one of six core partners in the Make Way strategic partnership on intersectionality and SRHR, together with VSO Netherlands, Akina Mama wa Afrika, the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, FAWE and the Liliane Foundation, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | Source: Make Way
- Wemos and VSO jointly commissioned research on an intersectional Community Score Card for SRH services within Make Way. | Source: Wemos
- Aidsfonds
- Member of Medicines Network Netherlands, an informal network set up and coordinated by Wemos to improve access to affordable medicines. Aidsfonds is explicitly listed among the member organisations. | Source: Wemos
- Dokters van de Wereld / Médecins du Monde
- Also a member of Medicines Network Netherlands, participating in joint advocacy (e.g. letters on Covid-19 IP pooling). | Source: Wemos
- WEMOS – VSO / Amref / HAI (multi-partner)
- Through HSAP and Make Way, Wemos works closely with Amref, VSO and HAI on SRHR-focused health systems strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa. | Source: amref.nl
Research & advocacy organisations:
- Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
- Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM)
- UAEM is a member of Medicines Network Netherlands, coordinated by Wemos, alongside Aidsfonds, Dokters van de Wereld, HAI and others. | Source: Wemos
- Within Enabling Access, UAEM contributes research and white papers on equitable access to publicly funded medical innovations, which Wemos amplifies at EU and global policy levels. | Source: Health Action International
Overview of characteristics
Activities:
- Netherlands: Base of operations; policy advocacy on Dutch global health strategy, health financing, access to medicines, HRH; coordination of Medicines Network Netherlands; lead organisation in AHEAD (medical deserts in Europe). | Source: Wemos
- Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and regional level): Through Make Way and earlier HSAP, Wemos works with African partners and VSO to strengthen inclusive, intersectional SRHR and health systems, using tools like the intersectional Community Score Card. | Source: Make Way ; amref.nl
- Europe (Italy, Moldova, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia): As lead organization of the EU-funded AHEAD project, Wemos works on medical deserts and health-worker shortages, developing diagnostic tools and participatory policy solutions to improve access to health services in underserved areas. | Source: Wemos
- Global / multilateral level: Advocacy towards EU, UN and WHO on topics such as Covid-19 vaccine equity, regional production of health products, pandemic accord negotiations and inclusion of public financing for health in the UN Political Declaration on UHC. | Source: Health Action International
Community of Practice (CoP):
CoP1: Strengthening Health Systems
CoP2: Pandemic Preparedness
CoP3: Climate Change and Health
Themes & subthemes within CoP1, CoP2 and CoP3
CoP1: Strengthening Health Systems
Themes
- Inclusive & resilient health systems and SRHR: Wemos’ “Inclusive health systems” work focuses on strong, resilient health systems as a prerequisite for universal health coverage and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), so that who you are, where you live or how much money you have does not determine access. | Source: Wemos
- Finance for health: Wemos’ “Finance for health” theme aims to increase the quality and quantity of external and domestic funding for health in LMICs, improving donor coordination and alignment with country priorities. | Source: Wemos
- Human resources for health & medical deserts: Under its HRH theme, Wemos analyses health-workforce policies and pushes for reforms; as lead of the AHEAD project it specifically tackles medical deserts and health-worker shortages in Europe. | Source: Wemos ; Ahead
- Dutch & global health policy coherence: Wemos monitors Dutch global health policy as part of the Dutch Global Health Alliance, gives input on the Dutch Global Health Strategy, and advocates for coherent, rights-based global health policy at Dutch/EU level. | Source: Wemos
Subthemes
- Integration of SRHR into universal health coverage (UHC) and primary health care as part of inclusive health systems. | Source: Wemos
- Intersectional health-system approaches that address overlapping forms of exclusion (gender, age, disability, poverty) in access to SRHR and other services (e.g. via the Make Way partnership). | Source: Make Way ; Wemos
- Increasing and reshaping public financing for health in LMICs (domestic and external), including better donor coordination and alignment with country needs. | Source: Wemos
- Health-workforce strengthening and distribution, including evidence-based reforms and tools to tackle medical deserts in European countries. | Source: Wemos ; VU.nl ; Ahead
- Policy coherence & governance for global health – ensuring that Dutch and EU trade, finance, health and development policies support strong, equitable health systems. | Source: Wemos
CoP2 – Pandemic preparedness
Themes
- Access to medicines & medical innovations for all (including PPR products): Through its Access to medicines theme and as lead of the “Enabling Access: Medical Innovations for All” consortium (with HAI, KEI and others, funded by Unitaid), Wemos works to change how medicines and medical innovations are developed, priced and governed so that LMICs can access vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, including those needed for epidemics and pandemics. | Source: HAI ; Unitaid ; Wemos
- Global rules & governance for equitable access in crises: Wemos analyses flaws in the R&D and IP system, advocates for transparency and public-interest licensing, and feeds this into debates on Dutch global health policy and international norms that shape pandemic preparedness and response. | Source: Wemos
- Civil-society coalitions on PPR & access: Wemos coordinates and participates in networks (e.g. Medicines Network Netherlands, international access-to-medicines coalitions) that jointly call for equitable access to Covid-19 and other health products, which directly relates to pandemic response capacity. | Source: Wemos ; Wemos
Subthemes
- Fair pricing and transparency of R&D costs, clinical data and procurement terms for pandemic-relevant technologies (vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics). | Source: Wemos
- Regional manufacturing and technology transfer for medicines and vaccines to reduce LMIC dependence in future pandemics (central in Enabling Access and Wemos’ access-to-medicines agenda). | Source: Wemos ; HAI
- Public-interest patenting and licensing (e.g. conditions in public R&D funding, use of TRIPS flexibilities) to guarantee access during health emergencies. | Source: Wemos
- Civil-society monitoring and advocacy on Dutch/EU pandemic policies, including how the Dutch Global Health Strategy deals with access to medical countermeasures. | Source: Wemos ; Dutch Global Health Strategy 2023-2030
CoP3 – Climate change & health
Themes
- Climate as a structural determinant in global health justice: Wemos’ strategy frames global health justice within broader global challenges (including climate change) and argues that health policy must respect planetary boundaries and address cross-border determinants of health. | Source: Wemos
- Climate- and health-informed Dutch/global health policy: In its Dutch/global health policy work, Wemos advocates for coherent policy that considers transboundary issues such as climate, and pushes the Netherlands to adopt a strong, justice-oriented global health strategy. | Source: Wemos ; Dutch Global Health Strategy 2023-2030
- Participation in global climate–health networks: Wemos is part of networks such as the Global Climate and Health Alliance, whose vision is an equitable, sustainable future where the health impacts of climate change are minimised and the health co-benefits of mitigation are maximised – aligning Wemos with climate-health advocacy and coalition work. | Source: Wemos
Subthemes
- Integrating climate–health links into Dutch global health strategy and policy positions, e.g. via contributions to debates on the Dutch Global Health Strategy and Health-in-All-Policies approaches. | Source: Wemos
- Advocacy for climate-resilient and sustainable health systems within broader global health justice messaging (emphasising that health systems and financing must account for climate risks and planetary limits). | Source: Wemos
- Global climate-health coalition work through alliances like the Global Climate and Health Alliance and related networks, focusing on minimising health impacts of climate change and maximising health co-benefits of mitigation. | Source: Wemos
Organization type:
NGO
Available resources:
Knowledge & expertise
- Deep policy expertise on health systems & SRHR: 45+ years of experience analysing Dutch, EU and global health policies and proposing structural reforms in health financing, health workforce and SRHR-responsive systems. | Source: Wemos
- Access-to-medicines and innovation systems: Recognised expertise in pharmaceutical policy, including pricing, transparency, IP and alternative R&D models, articulated in their Access to Medicines theme and extensive publications (e.g. on regional production, fair pricing, monopoly power). | Source: Wemos
- Health financing & macro-financial architecture: Analytical work on public financing for UHC, donor alignment, debt and the international financial system as drivers of health inequalities, captured in their strategy 2023–2027 and year overviews. | Source: Wemos
- Human resources for health & medical deserts: As lead of AHEAD, Wemos has developed and tested tools and methodologies (e.g. medical deserts diagnostic tool, participatory consensus-building) to tackle health-worker shortages and distribution issues in Europe. | Source: Wemos ; Ahead ; IJIC
Networks
- Medicines Network Netherlands (coordinated by Wemos): Wemos set up and coordinates this multi-stakeholder network, whose members include Aidsfonds, Dokters van de Wereld, Health Action International, UAEM and others. It serves as a platform for joint letters, public campaigns and policy dialogues on access to affordable medicines. | Source: Wemos
- Strategic consortia with GHH partners: HSAP (with Amref and HAI) on SRHR health systems in Africa; Make Way (with VSO and others) on intersectional SRHR; Enabling Access (with HAI, KEI and others) on medical innovations; AHEAD (with European research and CSO partners) on medical deserts. | Source: Amref ; Wemos ; Make Way
- Global health governance networks: Member of Dutch Global Health Alliance, Global Health Hub Netherlands, Share-Net International (chairing the Dutch CoP on the Global Financing Facility), and ATACH on climate & health. | Source: Wemos
Influence / advocacy leverage
- Policy access at Dutch, EU and UN level
- Wemos is regularly invited by the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health to expert groups and hearings, and played a visible role in the parliamentary debate on the Dutch global health strategy. | Source: Wemos Yearoverview 2019
- At the UN, Wemos and Akina Mama wa Afrika successfully secured language on public financing for health in the 2023 UHC political declaration. | Source: Wemos
- At EU level, Wemos co-organised manifestos and campaigns on fair medicine prices and medical deserts, influencing Belgian, Dutch and EU discussions. | Source: Wemos Yearoverview 2019
- Public campaigns & framing power: The “Monopoly – Medicine Edition” campaign put medicine pricing on the Dutch political agenda, showing creativity and strong media reach. | Source: Health Action International
Financial & project-management capacity
- Lead grantee & coordinator in multi-country programmes
- Wemos is lead organisation of AHEAD (EU Health Programme), managing a six-organisation consortium across five countries on health-workforce and medical deserts. | Source: Wemos
- Wemos is penholder/lead partner in Make Way (MoFA-funded strategic partnership) and lead grantee in the Unitaid-funded Enabling Access: Medical Innovations for All consortium. | Source: Make Way
Coordination & convening
- Network coordination: Coordinates Medicines Network Netherlands, organising bimonthly meetings, agendas, and joint outputs for a diverse membership including GHH partners (Aidsfonds, Dokters van de Wereld, HAI, UAEM). | Source: Wemos
- Consortium & platform leadership:
- Lead organisation in AHEAD and Make Way, responsible for program direction, stakeholder engagement and knowledge sharing. | Source: Wemos
- Chairs the Share-Net Netherlands Community of Practice on the Global Financing Facility (GFF), convening Dutch and Southern partners on SRHR financing. | Source: Wemos
Ella Weggen, Senior Global Health Expert, Wemos.