title: [Performance of the Dutch health care from an international perspective: background and implications for policy].
abstract: The 'World Health Report 2000' has stimulated discussions on the Netherlands' performance in health and healthcare from an international perspective. The only concrete result it provided was a world ranking in which the Netherlands stood in 17th place. The comparative data which have appeared in several other recent reports, are more useful to policy makers, a notable example being those from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). One issue arising from these reports is that the increase in life expectancy in the Netherlands is lagging behind the European Union average. This is particularly the case for women and a major cause of this is smoking. Developments in Dutch perinatal mortality are also unfavourable and are associated with a strong increase in the age at which women bear children. International comparisons of public health data are valuable inputs for health policy development and it is therefore important to invest in the international harmonisation of such data collection.
authors.affiliation: Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, Centrum Volksgezondheid Toekomst Verkenningen, Postbus 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven. pgn.kramers@rivm.nl
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kramers
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Achterberg
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: van der Wilk
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D019985:Benchmarking; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003625:Data Collection; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005062:European Union / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014944:World Health Organization