How many Swiss hospitals are engaged with hospitals and clinics in low- and middle-income countries?

Switzerland has a strong tradition of international engagement in health care, surely best known through the work of Henri Dunant and the founding of the Red Cross (now International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement). However, this tradition is also supported through innumerable smaller projects made possible by the activities of individual health care professionals working at Swiss hospitals who are engaged with hospitals and clinics in poorer countries.

Published: 26. March 2021

As part of its efforts to strengthen the network of internationally active Swiss hospitals, ESTHER Switzerland is conducting a survey with a questionnaire to collect information about existing health partnership initiatives. A central compilation of known projects will be an aid to cooperation and communication between different partnerships. This will be helpful both to the existing actors in this community, but also to those who would like to engage in the future. No up-to-date data base exists to our knowledge and we believe that this would be an important step to strengthening the network of Swiss hospitals that are internationally active.

We are grateful for the support of the national umbrella organisation of public and private Swiss hospitals, clinics, and care institutions H+, who has kindly agreed to distribute the survey on ESTHER’s behalf. Please complete it, if you are engaged in an institutional health partnership with a low- or middle-income country. H+ sent the survey to all members at the end of March in their newsletter, or you can complete it here.