On November 21, 2024, the Preventive Health Conference brought together an inspiring community of experts, advocates, and changemakers at Jaarbeurs, Utrecht. This year’s theme, Just Transformations, addressed the critical need to shift from curative to preventive healthcare in a way that is equitable and inclusive. The event challenged participants to explore the resources, collaborations, and strategies required to ensure this transition benefits all members of society.

A Memorable Opening: Symbolising the Power of Prevention

The conference began with a warm welcome from host Simone Ritzer (WUR) and our directors Martine van der Mast and Roel Vermeulen, who set the tone for the day by highlighting the importance of equity in transforming healthcare. As part of the opening, Martine and Roel unveiled a thought-provoking artwork that symbolises the essence of the conference theme.

Artist Mascha Bossuyt was commisioned to design an artpiece that symbolises how where you are born, determines your healthy life expextancy. Bossuyt designed an interactive piece that allows viewers to interact by guiding a ball along various tracks, symbolising the journey of life. By opening hatches along the track, the ball’s course is altered—a powerful metaphor for how timely interventions can redirect lives toward healthier outcomes. You can find more about the artwork on Mascha’s website.

In addition to this artpiece, attendees were invited to help create one as well by engaging with the Bench of Future Generations, where they could inscribe their aspirations for what preventive health should achieve by 2040. This collective activity served as a creative way to reflect on the shared vision for a healthier, more equitable future.

Inspiring Keynotes: Laying the Groundwork for Transformations

The conference featured a lineup of compelling keynote sessions, addressing both the practical and conceptual aspects of transitioning to preventive healthcare.

Wouter Boon – Transitions Towards More Preventive Health

Wouter Boon (UU) kicked off the day with a thought-provoking keynote on the transition to preventive health, drawing on his expertise in transition studies. His talk focused on the complexities involved in shifting from a curative healthcare system to one that emphasises prevention. Wouter provided a detailed overview of the challenges and opportunities within this transition, highlighting the need for multi-level collaboration and the alignment of policies, institutions, and stakeholders.

Following Wouter Boon’s keynote session panelists from diverse fields—including health insurance, citizen advocacy, and the healthcare industry—came together to discuss what “just” transformations look like in practice, emphasising the importance of balancing institutional priorities with community needs.

Bram Wouterse – A Better Business Case for Prevention

Later in the morning, Bram Wouterse (EUR) addressed one of the most pressing issues in preventive healthcare: the difficulty in making a strong business case for prevention. Wouterse’s presentation explored why preventive health initiatives are often undervalued and underfunded. He argued that we need to stop viewing prevention merely as a cost-saving measure and start recognising it as a valuable investment in health that yields returns far beyond the immediate financials.

Paul Iske – Embracing Brilliant Failures

In the afternoon, Paul Iske (Institute for Brilliant Failures) delivered a dynamic keynote focused on the value of failure in driving innovation. Often viewed with fear and resistance, failure, according to Iske, should be embraced as a powerful tool for growth and progress. His talk was a reminder that in the realm of preventive health, innovation often requires taking risks and viewing setbacks as stepping stones toward meaningful change.

Engaging Breakout Sessions: Collaborative Solutions for Preventive Health

Next to the keynote sessions, the conference invited participants to join one of five breakout sessions. The breakout sessions provided an interactive space to address key issues in preventive health, such as youth resilience, inclusive approaches to prevention, healthy living environments, future-proofing care for older adults and [title cuco]. Through expert presentations, world cafés, dynamic games, an co-creation workshops, participants collaborated to develop innovative solutions for these pressing challenges.

The sessions were co-organised by Eindhoven Engine, the Centre for Living Labs, Dynamics of Youth and the Centre for Unusual Collaborations, bringing together a wide range of expertise and perspectives to tackle these complex health issues.

Celebrating Achievements

In October of 2024, a seed call was published by the institute 4 Preventive Health. 27 proposals were sent in, of which only four would receive a seed grant of 50.000. With this seed money, project teams are encouraged to explore transdisciplinary research towards preventive health. At the main stage, the winners of the seed funds were announced:

• Enhancing Equity for Active Living through Digital Tools (EQUAL)​ – Gamze Dane (TU/e), Bige Tuncer (TU/e), Ayla Schwarz (WUR), S Labib (UU), Hanneke Postumus (UU), Sehnaz Canani (Nexus Design)
• Towards a healthy, sustainable and just protein transition: transdisciplinary research to inform and shape dietary policies, interventions and the plant-based food environment​ – Shauna O’Donovan (TU/e), Marinka Steur (WUR), Sanne Djojosoeparto (UU), Marinne Geleijnse (WUR), Tina Venema (UU), Gerda Pot (Alliantie Voeding in de Zorg).
• STITCH: Seamless transitions towards integrated, sustainable, and context-aware mental healthcare​ – Laura Genga (TU/e), Bob Mulder (WUR), Jantien van Berkel (UU), Laura Shields (UU), Indre Kalinauskaite (UMCU), Sam Muller (UMCU), Rosanne Turner (UU), Floortje Schepers (UMCU)
• Advancing the Development, Tailoring, Evaluation, and Implementation of the PRISTA App for Dietary Support During Pregnancy and Postpartum for Mothers and Children​ – Yuan Lu (TU/e), Elske Brouwer (WUR), Janine Faessen (WUR), Annemarie Wagemakers (WUR), Precilla Jeurink (UU), G. Klerks (UMCU), Victoire de Wild (Groente & Meer).

And those were not the only prizes  that were given out. As part of our poster plaza, two posters were chosen to pitch their project on stage. Both posterteams received a prize of 500,- that they can put towards a teambuilding activity with their team. The posters that won the prize are:

• HOBO: Hormonal Disbalances Impacting Body Composition in Women Living with Obesity – Min Wan (TU/e), Zhangue Wei (TU/e), Agnes Berendsen (WUR), Rebecca Schipper (WUR), Lara Schepers (WUR), Janneke van Meel (UMCU), Oscar Franco (UMCU), Marilyne Menassa (UMCU), Arianne van Bon (Rijnstate hospital) ​
• DINO GAME: Digitally Nudging Outdoor Play, Game AI for Mental Health – Alexander Klippel (WUR), Remco Veltkamp (UU), Thomas Jalving (UU), Heidi Lesscher (UU), Sanne Nijhof (UMC Utrecht)​​

Two other posters were drawn live on stage and were awarded 300,- also for teambuilding purposes:

• Decoding the Taste Puzzle: Toward a better understanding of taste profiling – Parvannah Parvin (WUR), Floor Rikken (WUR), Chao Zhang (TU/e), Sanne Boesman (UMCU).
• Happy Again! Social Support App – Sanne Schoenmakers (TU/e), Mieke Ronckers (TU/e), Manic Djelantik (UMCU), Paul Boelen (UU), Matthias Brinkhuis (UU), Wijnand IJsselsteijn (TU/e), Will Hurst (WUR), Ebo Kwabena Bennin (WUR).  

Congratulations to all winners! More information about the Seed Fund winners will be published on our website soon.

Looking Ahead

The Preventive Health Conference 2024 demonstrated that achieving “just” transformations in healthcare is both a challenge and an opportunity. Through transdisciplinary collaboration, creative reflection, and a commitment to equity, we can create a future where prevention is prioritised, and health disparities are reduced.

Thank you to all speakers and co-organisers for making this event a success. Also a big thank you to the students of Spelderholt Academy who helped the Jaarbeurs team with catering. And last but not least, thank you to all who attended and contributed to making this event a success. Together, we’ve taken another step toward building a healthier and more resilient society.

Want to see more? Take a look at all photos, made by Lize Kraan.