The task of the Gezondheidsraad (healthcare council) is to advise MPs on public health issues, usually at the request of the minister. But it can also draw up unsolicited reports to alert the government to specific issues which it considers of national importance. The council has three main areas of expertise: healthcare; health and nutrition; and health and the environment. It was set up in 1902 because the nation’s health was considered too important to be left to local authorities. website