Patient engagement
Engaging patients in health research and care is crucial for addressing complex issues effectively. Patients offer valuable first-hand insights, shaping solutions based on their experiences. Over the past decades, patient engagement has evolved from passive participation to active partnership. Athena examines how we can even further enhance collaborations between patients and researchers, policy makers, and care professionals.
Co-producing a Social Model of Well-being | Strengthens collaborations between the healthcare approach 'Welzijn op Recept' and the local community
Learning and Improvement in Healthcare | Monitors and evaluates projects focused on improving the quality of Dutch healthcare
CIRCULAR | Co-creating patient-driven and holistic solutions to stop atrial fibrillation
Brain Foundation Netherlands | Needs exploration of people with brain disorders, their caregivers, health professionals and researchers
Evidence in Action | Includes experiential knowledge in vaccination guidelines through AI analyses
Universal health coverage
Universal health coverage means everyone should access healthcare services without financial barriers, wherever and whenever needed. This requires a well-equipped and fairly distributed healthcare workforce, supported by decent working conditions. However, barriers like socioeconomic disparities and remote geographic locations persist, hindering access globally. Athena addresses these challenges, providing evidence-based solutions and tools for policymakers, researchers, and organisations.
Sexual and Reproductive Health in Lesbos Refugee Camps | Promoting healthcare democratisation and empowering refugee communities to shape their health
Health innovations
Health systems worldwide struggle to meet populations' needs, due to factors like economic instability, climate change, social inequality, and aging communities. Innovations, whether technological or procedural, hold potential to improve health systems. However, they are often difficult to integrate as they challenge the status quo. Athena aims to understand and improve the interaction between a health innovation and the unit of adoption, whilst taking a systems perspective.
Doing eHealth Right | Reduces health inequalities by transforming the eHealth system
MELOMANES | Designs a reflexive practice training programme on cancer treatment through nanotechnology
Menopause Consortium | Improving the societal impact of menopause interventions
Sustainable health & care
Human- and planetary health are strongly intertwined. Human health deteriorates through environmental sustainability problems, like climate change, but improves by spending time in nature. Contradictory, the healthcare sector's ecological footprint, including CO2 emissions and pollution, is significant. Athena therefore seeks actionable strategies to enhance healthcare and public health practices while preserving ecological balance.
NATURELAB | Investigates and promotes the benefits of nature-based therapies for health, well-being, prevention, and rehabilitation
FRAME | Co-creating research agendas to guide sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Holomicrobiome | Integrating microbiome research and innovation for healthy ecosystems
Social justice
Social justice is the promotion of fairness and equality in society. Athena addresses the systemic causes of discrimination, oppression, and inequality, e.g. based gender, socioeconomic status and disability. We co-create interventions to reduce stigma, strengthen health systems in humanitarian contexts, and build capacity for health practitioners in low-resource settings.
GROW in Research | Offers PhD students opportunities to work on solution-oriented health research for and with the African continent
Collectivising Mental Health: Care strategies among trans leaders in Colombia | Training for trans human rights defenders
What Matters Most | Culturally-sensitive approaches to assess and reduce health-related stigma
Gender-based Violence Care in Ethiopia | Explores mechanisms for integrating gender-based violence care into sexual and reproductive facilities in Ethiopia
Re/Presenting Europe | Healing the afterlives of colonialism
Nutrition
Nutrition is a critical aspect of health, with both undernutrition and overweight posing significant challenges. Improved nutrition is linked to reduced risk of diseases and better overall health. However, many different perspectives on nutrition co-exist, for example regarding its spiritual and cultural significance. Athena explores these to understand their implications for health transitions, and foster inclusive policies that respect different cultural and social backgrounds.
FoodCLIC | Makes urban food systems more inclusive and resilient, and empowers citizens to access healthier, sustainable foods
DOMINO | Drives the creation of plant-based fermented foods in Europe
B.Kind | Investigates how to improve the health and wealth of communities in Vietnam through locally-produced probiotics