GGD: Municipal Public Health Service

The GGD (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst) is the municipal public health service in the Netherlands. It works on public health topics such as infectious disease control, vaccinations, youth health care, sexual health, travel health advice, and health information. This page explains what the GGD does, when you may need to contact it, and how to find the correct GGD in Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe.

What you can find on this page:

• What is the GGD?
• When might you contact the GGD?
• GGD, GP, or emergency care?
• Finding your local GGD

What is the GGD?

The GGD is a regional public health organisation. It helps protect, monitor, and promote public health in the Netherlands. Public health focuses on the health of the wider population, not only on individual medical treatment.

In practice, this means the GGD works on topics such as infectious disease control, prevention, vaccinations, youth health care, sexual health, health education, and public health advice. The exact services can differ per region.

The GGD is different from a GP, hospital, or health insurer. For everyday medical complaints, prescriptions, referrals, or urgent medical care, you usually contact your GP, a huisartsenpost, or emergency services instead.

The GGD is usually organised regionally and works with municipalities. This means the correct GGD for you depends on where you live.

When might you contact the GGD?

You may come across the GGD in different situations. For example, you may contact or be referred to the GGD for vaccinations, youth health care, child health checks, infectious disease information, sexual health services, STI testing, travel health advice, or public health questions.

Some GGD services are available to everyone, while others depend on age, risk group, referral, location, or specific conditions. For example, sexual health services and STI testing through the GGD may be targeted at specific groups. Travel vaccinations may require an appointment and may not be covered by basic Dutch health insurance.

Always check your regional GGD website for the services, eligibility rules, appointment options, and costs that apply to your situation.

GGD, GP, or emergency care?

The GGD is usually not the first place to contact for everyday medical complaints. For general health problems, prescriptions, referrals to specialists, and most non-urgent medical questions, contact your GP.

If you need medical help outside GP opening hours and the problem cannot wait, contact the huisartsenpost, the after-hours GP service. For life-threatening emergencies, call 112.

The GGD may be the right organisation for public health topics, such as infectious disease questions, vaccination programmes, youth health care, sexual health services, and some travel health advice. If you are not sure where to go, your GP, municipality, or regional GGD website can often point you in the right direction.

Finding your local GGD

The correct GGD depends on where you live. In the North of the Netherlands, you will usually need one of the following regional services:

• GGD Groningen

• GGD Fryslân

• GGD Drenthe

Check the website of your regional GGD for contact details, appointment options, service locations, and current information. Some services may be available online, while others require an appointment at a specific location.