[Elaboration of NFU scientific agenda raises questions]

The Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU) has published a report 'Research Agenda for Sustainable Health', in which the authors outline the Netherlands' medical scientific agenda for the coming years. Although this is a laudable initiative, we question the sustainability of this agenda, which seems to promise a world without disease thanks to the efforts of medical researchers as they delve deep into the human genome and cellular mechanisms. In our opinion, putting this agenda into practice will not address many of the current health problems, and the underlying causes of these problems, with which patients and doctors struggle daily. Moreover, this agenda might strengthen expectations of what doctors and patients can achieve, which are already too high.