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Global Health Institute

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PhD in Health Sciences

For doctoral studies, the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine offers a flexible and intensively supervised doctoral program.

Registration

Before you can register for the PhD Program, you need the approval of a supervisor from among the professors of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine . Please contact a potential supervisor first.

For students to the University of Lucerne, it is necessary to use the online registration . If you are starting a PhD in Health Sciences at the University of Lucerne directly after completing your Master's degree at the University of Lucerne, please register by e-mail to the student services team .  If you are not starting your PhD in the following semester, you must register online.

The following deadlines apply to doctoral registrations: August 31 for the coming fall semester January 31 for the coming spring semester

The admission to the PhD Program is regulated by the study and examination committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine. The admission requirements can be found in the PhD Regulations . The admission decision will be communicated by email.

Language skills: You should have a very good knowledge of English; knowledge of German is not required.

Supervision

The first supervisor is responsible for the academic supervision. This person must be chosen from among the professors of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine . Without a written supervision agreement , which is co-authored and signed by a first supervisor, the admission to the PhD Program is not possible. The second supervisor  must be a person with a doctorate degree or higher from another faculty or different university.

Study requirements

The doctoral performance to be achieved consists of the academic performance (at least 18 ECTS credits), the thesis, the defense and the publication of the thesis.

Course selection All courses (see Course program ) offer ECTS credits and contribute to the 18 ECTS credit requirement. External courses can also be attended after consultation with the supervisor.

Course program

Courses University Lucerne

External Course program Swiss Learning Health System (SLHS) Course program SGGÖ Course program Campus Luzern Course program SSPH+ Course program Graduate Academy Meet to Write (Uni Basel) ​​​​​​​

Evaluation report

The supervisor meets with the PhD student at least once a year to evaluate the progress of the dissertation. In particular, the development of the research work and the earned course credits are evaluated based on the goals set for current year. Goals for the following year are also established.

Leave of absence

A leave of absence from the doctoral study is generally possible. Applications must be submitted in written form to the Study Center ( phd_health remove-this. @ remove-this. unilu.ch ) by September 15 (for the fall semester) and February 15 (for the spring semester).

Please note the following: - A leave of absence is granted for a maximum of two semesters. - During this time there are no matriculation fees. - No academic achievements can be earned. - It is not possible to participate in courses. - No applications for financial support from the faculty can be made. - No applications for the opening of the doctoral procedure can be made.

ECTS credits For all courses with earned ECTS credits, written documentation is required to ensure that the requirements according to § 4, number 1 of the Guide to PhD Regulations are fulfilled. The minimum number of credits to be earned during the doctoral studies is 18 ECTS credits (according to § 7, number 1 of the Guide to PhD Regulations). Usually these credits consist of participation in elective modules (in the amount of at least 6 ECTS) and in elective modules, which are announced at the beginning of each semester.

Application for the opening of the doctoral procedure The doctoral procedure is opened at the candidate's request. The application must be submitted in writing to the head of the faculty and submitted to the Study Center by email to phd_health remove-this. @ remove-this. unilu.ch .

The following documents (as pdf-files) must be enclosed with the application:

• a declaration by the candidate that he or she has independently written the submitted dissertation, that he or she has only used the specified aids when writing the dissertation and that he or she has marked passages that have been adopted either literally or in content as such a statement as to whether the dissertation has already been submitted to a university in the current or another version
• proof of academic achievements of at least 18 ECTS credits
• proof of matriculation for the duration of the doctoral studies (can be requested from Study Services )

Title After the successfully contested defense, a temporary certificate is issued. After publication of the dissertation, the PhD Student is awarded as Doctor of Science (Dr. sc.). A certificate and diploma will be issued for the doctoral work.

• PhD regulations (in German)
• Guide to the PhD regulations (in German)
• Supervision Agreement

FAQ for the PhD Program

Questions about the doctoral program.

I am interested in the PhD Program in Health Sciences. From the admission guidelines it can be seen that with a Master of Science degree from a university of applied sciences (90 ECTS) additional ECTS must be shown. How and at what time can these be acquired?

The doctoral regulations distinguish between admission with conditions (achievements to be made before entry) and admission with conditions (achievements to be made during the doctorate) - see also § 5, para. 5:

For a Master's degree with 90 ECTS, an additional 30 ECTS must be completed. If ECTS have already been acquired at a Swiss or foreign university, the study center will check this and, if necessary, also count these ECTS.

What costs can I expect during the doctoral program?

The Study Services of the University of Lucerne have prepared an overview: Application and Admission - University of Lucerne (unilu.ch)

And the Student Advisory Service of the University of Lucerne provides more info on general financial questions at the following link: Financial and Budgeting Advice - University of Lucerne (unilu.ch)

Dr. med. Christian Schirlo, MME Director Study Center

Colette Lenherr Administrative Coordinator PhD in Health Sciences

phd_health remove-this. @ remove-this. unilu.ch

Liaison PhD Students:

• Céline Bolliger - [email protected]
• Clara Lussi - [email protected]
• Jasmin Mahler - [email protected]
• Anna Romanova - [email protected]

The PhD Liaisons represent doctoral researchers, ensuring their concerns and needs are communicated to the faculty administration. We gather and respond to student feedback and provide networking and capacity-building opportunities for doctoral candidates. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email any of us.

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Graduate School for Health Sciences (GHS)

Phd program, research focus.

The doctoral research projects at GHS explore the health of individuals and groups within their social and physical environments. These projects address questions spanning basic and clinical research, as well as applied fields.

Interdisciplinary Expertise

Our diverse academic disciplines—from the humanities to medicine and the natural sciences—contribute to the breadth of research. With access to a vast pool of academic experts and resources, GHS students are equipped to become highly qualified researchers or professionals, adept at tackling complex subjects in their chosen fields.

Expert Committees

Candidates are assigned to specialized expert committees based on their research area, which oversee their admittance, guidance, and evaluation. The GHS currently has three expert committees:

Expert Committee I (FK I): Covers areas such as preventive and social medicine, public health, medical education, psychology, rehabilitation, and clinical research.

Expert Committee II (FK II): Specializes in neurosciences.

Expert Committee III (FK III): also called Clinical Sciences, the FKIII promotes clinical career & patient-oriented research (50:50 model). Supports clinically active candidates pursuing an academic title alongside their clinical work.  [ More information here ]  

PhD Program Structure

Duration FKI and FKII: The PhD program involves 3 to 4 years of research work, culminating in a doctoral thesis, and requires an individually tailored training program of 18.0 ECTS credit points.

Duration FKIII: For candidates in Expert Committee III, the program duration is 4 to 6 years.

Degree Awarded: Upon completion of the program, candidates are awarded the title "PhD in Health Sciences (Specialization). [ More information here ]

Supervision

You can find the general supervision rules in the old regulations here  and the new regulations here . For an overview of the supervision team's tasks, please refer to the table at the bottom.

Find out more

• Doctoral Agreement (WORD, 74KB)
• Progress Report (old regulations) (WORD, 165KB)
• Progress Report (new regulations) (WORD, 165KB)
• Welcome Center, University of Bern
• Doctoral Studies at the University of Bern
• Career Service of the University of Bern

Degree Programs & Courses Doctorate

Doctoral degree, doctoral study at the university of bern.

You can either take the doctorate within a graduate school or as part of a doctoral degree program, or you can even take a traditional individual doctorate. Graduate schools and doctoral degree programs are arranged on an interdisciplinary and/or interuniversity basis in many cases. In addition to research-related training and intensive support, these also offer excellent opportunities for networking within the academic community.

An A-Z of doctoral subjects

• Archaeology
• Business Administration
• Cellular and Biomedical Sciences Med./Nat./Vet.
• Central Asian Studies
• Chemistry and Molecular Sciences
• Classical Philology (special qualification in Greek or Latin)
• Old Catholic Theology
• Climate Sciences
• Cognition, Learning and Memory
• Communication and Media Studies
• Dental Medicine
• German Language
• German Language and Literature
• German Literature
• Digital Humanities
• Eastern European Studies
• Ecology and Evolution
• Economic Globalisation and Integration
• Earth Sciences
• Protestant Theology
• Gender Studies
• Geography and Sustainable Development
• Global Studies
• Health Sciences hum/med
• Human Medicine
• Computer Sciences
• Interdiciplinary Cultural Studies ICS
• Islamic Studies and Oriental Literature
• Italian Linguistics and Literature
• Social Sciences
• Art History
• Language and Society
• Languages and Literatures in English
• Linguistics
• Linguistique/Littérature françaises
• Mathematics
• Molecular Life Sciences
• Physics/Astronomy
• Political Science
• Public Administration
• Religious Studies theol.
• Science of Religion Human.
• Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Social Anthropology
• Spanish Linguistics and Literature
• Sport Science
• Criminal Justice
• Theater and Dance Studies
• Administrative Science
• Veterinary Medicine

Further information

Transferable Skills - Key Qualifications for your academic and non-academic Career

Transferable skills program for doctoral students and postdocs of every discipline.

Funding program «UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs»

The University of Bern, with its funding program «UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs», supports doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers in attending short research stays abroad, to advance their own research projects and to gain more international experience. Next application deadline: March 1, 2023

Open calls for ENLIGHT initiatives

The University of Bern and ENLIGHT support bottom-up initiatives by lecturers for challenge-based education projects in the six focus areas of ENLIGHT. Especially for early career academics, this is an opportunity to build an international network and gain interdisciplinary teaching experience.

UniBE Doc.Mobility

UniBE Doc.Mobility is granted for stays abroad which usually last twelve months. Support takes place in the form of an employment as a doctoral student, but with a place of research abroad. Application deadline: March 1/ September 1

Promotion Fund

In cooperation with the Intermediate Staff Association of the University of Bern, the Vice-Rectorate Research calls for proposals to the Fund for the Promotion of Young Researchers twice a year.

MVUB - Lunchtalks

Lunchtime events concerning academic career, working conditions and intermediate staff politics.

Innovative higher education teaching

The University of Bern's Department of 'Hochschuldidaktik & Lehrentwicklung' supports you in your teaching activities with coaching and around 50 events a year.

COMET – Coaching, Mentoring und Training

The COMET Career Programme supports female researchers in successfully pursuing their academic careers.

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GENEVA GRADUATE INSTITUTE

Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2A Case postale 1672 CH - 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland +41 22 908 57 00  

[email protected] + 41 22 908 58 98  

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

[email protected] +41 22 908 57 54  

[email protected] + 41 22 908 57 55

PhD Programmes at the Graduate Institute, Geneva

PhD programmes at the Institute require a four-year commitment, with the first three semesters in residence. During the first two semesters, you will take theoretical and methodological doctoral seminars before presenting a preliminary thesis at the end of the third semester, with the defence of your thesis taking place at the end of the eighth semester. Our PhD programmes meet the established requirements for accreditation in Switzerland. The courses are taught in English, however the thesis could be written either in English or French.

We offer six disciplinary PhDs:  PhD in Anthropology and Sociology ,  PhD in International Economics ,  PhD in Development Economics ,  PhD in International History ,  PhD in International Law  and  PhD in International Relations/Political Science .  

how to apply

PHD IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY  

• Four-year programme
• Provides students with theoretical perspectives and methodological tools to explore the social and cultural systems that influence policy interventions
• Involves a year of coursework and preparation followed by extensive fieldwork and a dissertation

PHD IN DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS  

• Four-year programme centered around a research dissertation
• A crucial field at the heart of policy debates
• Fieldwork opportunities in developing countries

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS  

• Stimulating collegiate work atmosphere
• Trains students to undertake innovative research 

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL HISTORY & POLITICS  

• Combines coursework, seminars, preliminary thesis and doctoral thesis
• Equips students with the analytical, conceptual and methodological tools to successfully complete original book-length research

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL LAW  

• Designed for outstanding students with a strong commitment to international law
• Research supervision available for a wide range of topics
• Learn more ​​​​​​​

PHD IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS / POLITICAL SCIENCE  

• Stand-alone four-year PhD programme or Fast-track master’s/doctoral program allowing students to complete a master’s and PhD within five years
• Designed to prepare students for a research-focused career in international relations

The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva is pleased to announce the opening of 30 fully funded 4-year PhD positions in our 5 departmental programmes in Anthropology and Sociology, International Economics or Economics of Development, International History and Politics, International Law, International Relations and Political Science.  The d eadline  for application  is 15 January 2022 . Each of the six 4-year PhD packages distributed by each department will combine 2 years of full scholarship followed by 2 years of teaching assistantship.  

more information

Learn more about the Institute

Master & PhD Programmes

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Swiss School of Public Health

Phd programs.

SSPH+ supports or collaborates with several structured inter-university as well as local PhD programs in public health relevant sciences. Check-out the websites of these programs.

Inter-university PhD Programs

SSPH+ Inter-university Graduate Campus

SSPH+ Partner Universities under the lead of University Fribourg

International Courses in Health Economics and Policy

SSPH+ Partner Univer­sities under the lead of University of Lucerne

Structured PhD Program "Epide­miology and Biosta­tistics"

University of Zurich and ETHZ

SPINE - The Swiss PhD Platform in Nursing Science Education

Universities of Basel and Lausanne

PhD Program in Public Health Sciences for Universities of Applied Sciences (SSPH+UAS)

SSPH+ partner universities (Basel, Bern, Luzern, Neuchâtel, Svizzera italiana, Zurich) and universities of applied sciences (BFH, FHO, SUPSI, ZHAW)

Local PhD Programs

Structured PhD program in Health Sciences

University of Lucerne

Programme doctoral "Santé, Médecine et Société"

University of Neuchatel

Doctoral Program in Global Health

University of Geneva

PhD Program Health Sciences PPHS

University of Basel

Graduate School for Health Sciences (GHS)

University of Bern

Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB)

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Doctorate and PhD Programmes

Swiss TPH offers PhD students registered at the University of Basel a broad range of research areas. Swiss TPH's academic faculty supervises PhD students in the fields of medical parasitology and infection biology, public health and epidemiology and medical anthropology.

Swiss TPH also contributes to PhD programme developments through its activities with the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+) and the University of Basel. In addition, Swiss TPH is on the board of the PhD Program Health Sciences (PPHS) of the Medical Faculty of Basel. In collaboration with ETH Zurich, the inter-university PhD programme in infection biology (IPPIB) was successfully launched in 2014.

The total number of doctoral students has steadily increased and there are currently over 180 PhD students supervised by Swiss TPH staff. Every year, around 45 young researchers from all over the world receive the doctoral title. A detailed description of all steps of undertaking a PhD can be found in the Student Handbook .  

PhD Study Areas

Swiss TPH PhD students are accepted and registered in a range of PhD study areas (Promotionsfächer) offered by University Basel.

• The Faculty of Science offers PhDs in the field of microbiology, zoology, cell biology and epidemiology.
• The Faculty of Medicine offers several PhD studies related in particular in the fields of clinical research, epidemiology/public health and drug development.
• The Interdisciplinary PhD in Epidemiology is open for students from a variety of disciplines.
• The Seminar of Social Anthropology (Faculty of Arts and Humanities) offers PhD studies in the field of Medical Anthropology.

Structured PhD Programmes

Although not required, many Swiss TPH PhD students profit from the additional enrollment in a structured PhD programmes. Most of these programmes are organized externally. Rules, requirements and benefits – such as access to free courses and other fundings – vary across programmes. All have though in common that apart of the 12 ECTS of course work required from all PhD students at Uni Basel, additional ECTS must be achieved.  

Further Information

“Working and studying at Swiss TPH has allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge in public health and epidemiology through its excellent research and teaching environment. The institute's expertise and resources have enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of public health issues, while also building my confidence in professional and scientific settings.”

Nino Maghradze

PhD graduate, Tuberculosis Ecology and Evolution unit

Training Certifiacte of the IGS North-South

Apart from the structured programs, some Swiss TPH PhD students may enroll in the 12-ECTS training certificate of the International Graduate School (IGS) North-South

Courses and Seasonal Schools

Our PhD students can profit from many courses and seasonal schools, offered by any of the above mentioned programs, by the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+) partners, by University Basel or by many other providers. PhD students and supervisors discuss together the course work to be done during the PhD studies. While those need to be in line with the rules of University Basel or the additional structured PhD programs, supervisors tailor the schedule to the needs of the students. PhD students should also train transferable skills which are – among others – offered by University Basel .

Downloads for PhD Students

• Template for PhD proposal
• Evaluation report for PHD Proposals
• Documentation of Formal Training
• Annual Meeting Confirmation Form
• Next meetings of the Research Commission
• Self-Assessment Form
• Student's Handbook

Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)

Ssph+ global phd program in public health sciences (globalp3hs).

02.07.2018 Doctoral fellowships in public health sciences available for talented students from all over the world: first call launched on July 2, 2018.

GlobalP3HS is an innovative Swiss doctoral program designed to competitively recruit excep-tionally talented students from all over the world. Young scientists interested in proposing, learning, and performing cutting-edge research in public health sciences and keen to become the next generation of public health leaders in both the academic and non-academic sector, are invited to apply for one of, in total, 50 doctoral fellowships of up to 42 months in duration.

Particularly welcomed and encouraged are applications under the sandwich model - a success-ful model to build sustainable research capacity in low and middle income countries (LMIC). The model includes a LMIC partnership for the PhD thesis, shared supervision, fieldwork and/or research stays in the LMIC.

Conditions for participation

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree
• Applicants must fulfil the mobility rules of MSCA (coming from abroad)
• Applicants must find an SSPH+ Faculty member who agrees on acting as PhD supervisor
• Applicants must be eligible for a PhD at the Swiss university of their chosen supervisor

Selection procedure

A total of 50 students are competitively selected based on an international review process. Ap-plications are welcome from:

• 2 July to 12 October 2018 (Call 1)
• 3 December 2018 to 1 February 2019 (Call 2)
• 1 April to 28 June 2019 (Call 3)

Continue reading and/or apply on the GlobalP3HS online platform .

Phd Degree in Public Health, Switzerland

Explore the best universities for Phd degree in Public Health in Switzerland, based on their reputation and research in the field.

Degree Level

• Certificate
• Please select a discipline first!

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The right to health means every human being having the right to be born and grow up, to work and grow old without their health being jeopardized by human-influenced actions or by circumstances that humans can influence. This right has to be implemented and protected by individual nation states, but also by the international community. The Medicus Mundi Switzerland network is therefore dedicated to an active, solidarity-based health policy for Switzerland. (Photo by Mat Reding on Unsplash)

Health as part of the Social Development Goals

18.09.2024 – center for global development (cgd), the lusaka agenda tracker: what gets measured gets done.

"Financial support for health in low- and middle-income countries has come under renewed criticism in recent years by policymakers and experts, critiquing that it often fragments health systems, undermines national priority-setting, and lacks a clear exit strategy. The most recent effort to address these challenges is the Lusaka Agenda launched in December 2023, which laid out a set of five shifts required to coordinate and strengthen the contribution of global health initiatives (GHIs) (...). Implementing the Lusaka Agenda will require substantial change in how the GHIs operate, unprecedent coordination between GHI board members, clear mutual accountability mechanisms, and must be integrated with individual country-led donor alignment efforts. In a paper released today, we propose a Lusaka Agenda Tracker. Our proposal includes five short-term milestones, that if achieved by the end of 2025 show there is real political will to change, and seven indicators to monitor progress on achieving the Lusaka Agenda over the medium-term."

• Center for Global Development (CGD)
• Tracking Delivery on the Lusaka Agenda

24.06.2024 – Chatham House

Driving universal health reforms through crises and shocks.

Final report on the work of the Chatham House Commission for Universal Health

“The series of crises and shocks the world has suffered in recent years – including disease outbreaks, financial crises, multiple conflicts and the deepening impacts of climate change – have raised fears that commitments to UHC will be seriously undermined. In 2022, in light of these concerns, Chatham House established the Commission for Universal Health to look at ways to support countries in maintaining and accelerating progress towards UHC. Drawing on the work of the commission, this report explores examples of where, and how, conditions of crisis and shock have had a catalytic role in driving universal health initiatives, and offers recommendations for leaders currently considering launching or expanding UHC reforms. (...) The report endorses the World Health Organization’s finding that investment of an additional 1 per cent of GDP for primary healthcare is a realistic target for countries transitioning to UHC."

• Chatham House Commission

10.06.2024 – Health Policy Watch (HPW)

Should global health initiatives have a termination date.

The Geneva Graduate Institute hosted a frank conversation on the future of GHIs alongside the 77th World Health Assembly and Gavi and the Global Fund’s soon-to-be launched “replenishment” campaigns.

"One of the world’s largest global health initiatives (GHI), vaccine alliance Gavi, started in a UNICEF basement with a staff of five people. Nearly 25 years later, Gavi has grown into one of the most influential players on the global health stage, driving progress on key global health challenges. Yet several experts on global health finance contend that large non-UN multilateral health organizations like Gavi and Global Fund need to gradually turn more of their functions to countries – and devolve into less costly, more country-based institutions."

• Health Policy Watch

31.05.2024 – Health Policy Watch (HPW)

New climate and health resolution wins strong support from who member states.

"WHO member states approved the first resolution on climate and health to come before the World Health Assembly in 16 years – even as 50°C temperatures in Delhi, flooding in southern Brazil and devastating Caribbean storms are driving home the message to more and more countries that climate change is real. In several hours of late-night debate, states large and small, landlocked and ocean-bound, described in painful detail, their efforts to cope with growing trends of climate-triggered storms and drought, sea level rise, and food insecurity – all leading to more deaths and disability from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), health emergencies, vector-borne diseases as well as mental health impacts."

24.05.2024 – UHC2030

The imperative case for universal health coverage (uhc): fostering the translation of uhc commitments into action..

According to the latest data, at least 4.5 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — are not fully covered by essential health services

"UHC2030’s new 2024-2027 Strategic Framework outlines three pathways for collective action to achieve meaningful progress towards universal health coverage before the next UN high-level meeting in 2027 and to help countries achieve SDG target 3.8 by 2030: advocacy (influencing decisions by political, economic and social institutions to advance UHC), accountability (tracking the implementation of commitments to foster actions, decisions, policies and programmes for UHC), and alignment (convening stakeholders to exchange information and to elevate the importance of alignment with one national plan and of working within national structures to strengthen health systems)."

• Strategic Framework 2024-2027

06.02.2024 – Health Policy and Planning

Still rethinking external assistance for health.

The 13 research articles, innovation and practice reports and commentaries presented in this supplement provide concrete examples, ideas and reflections that add to our understanding of external assistance for health.

"As we revisited our April 2022 announcement of this special issue on Rethinking External Assistance for Health, we were struck by the increasing relevance of the themes that were raised (Shroff et al., 2022; HPP call for abstracts 2022). We are no longer speaking about the potential effects of the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19, but rather how countries and households are now experiencing the realities of fiscal tightening, increased sovereign debt, inflation and shifting geopolitics (International Monetary Fund, 2023). Reflecting these pressures and changing dynamics, questions around the functions of external assistance for health and the forms it takes are high on the agendas of both donors and recipient countries."

• Health Policy and Planning
• Volume 39, Issue Supplement_1, January 2024

New round of Universal Health Coverage policies lies ahead despite missed targets

People's Health Dispatch "The WHO Executive Board is poised to propose enhanced Universal Health Coverage policies despite disappointing outcomes. UHC-based policies are failing in achieving the goals of increased access to healthcare and financial protection from health expenditure."

• People’s Health Dispatch

02.02.2024 – Future of Global Health Initiatives

The lusaka agenda: conclusions of the future of global health initiatives process.

"Over the last two decades, global health initiatives (GHIs) have contributed to enormous progress in protecting lives and improving the health of people globally, while also contributing to global public goods, strengthening global health security, and improving pandemic preparedness and response. In doing so, they have established new models of partnership and alliances that have paved the way for new ways of working and addressing equity. However, important changes in health needs, financing and governance require a renewed and resolved vision for global health to deliver sustainable impact. The need for strong and resilient health systems that can adapt to emerging threats such as climate change and conflict, and concurrently maintain coverage for existing health needs, has never been clearer."

• The Lusaka Agenda - report
• Future of Global Health Initiatives

The Determinants of Health and the Long Road to Health Equity

Bulletin MMS #167 December 2023

Medicus Mundi Switzerland It is not primarily the lack of medical treatment that leads to illness. Illness is often caused by social disadvantage and inequality and is therefore influenced by factors beyond the healthcare system. These include living and working conditions as well as social, political, environmental and economic factors that have a decisive influence on the development of illness. The knowledge that structural and social inequalities favour diseases has been well known for a long time and yet in recent years, especially since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, the increase in global conflicts and human rights violations, we have seen blatant setbacks on the path to equal health opportunities. We need to break new ground and deepen our knowledge to find out which social-justice-promoting approaches are most likely to lead to greater health equity. In this bulletin, you can read about key findings and promising (new) strategies on the road to health equity.

• Medicus Mundi Suisse

Transforming Partnerships in International Cooperation

Discover the step-by-step guides to better partnerships for civil society, bilateral donors, INGOs and intermediaries across the sector. Third report in our series on decolonising the sector.

Peace Direct "Transforming Partnerships in International Cooperation builds on our previous research to provide an operational guide to decolonising partnerships in the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development sector. Based on consultations with 200 participants from 70 countries, it offers comprehensive recommendations to transform every aspect of partnerships between entities in the Global South and North."

• Peace Direct

Decolonising Global Health: from discourse to practice

Recording of the Webinar

Graduate Institute - Global Health Centre On 25 October 2023, the Global Health Centre’s International Geneva Global Health Platform co-organised with Medicus Mundi Switzerland and Medicus Mundi International a webinar on the theme: “Decolonising Global Health: from discourse to practice?” Moving beyond the prevailing discussions, what does it mean to decolonise global health governance in practical terms? What examples exist of successful decolonisation of international cooperation in global health? What examples exist of just global health governance structures that have reimagined aid in the post-pandemic world? These and other questions will be explored in a provocative, frank and forward-looking discussion about the complex intersectionalities of governance, aid, and the promotion of global solidarity."

• Graduate Institute - Global Health Centre

06.06.2023 – The Lancet

Lancet commission on synergies between universal health coverage, health security, and health promotion.

"Since 2018, this Lancet Commission has sought to understand how to maximise synergies between the global health agendas of universal health coverage, health security, and health promotion, and what drives dis-synergies. (...) Societies can and should pursue the agendas of universal health coverage, health security, and health promotion synergistically. We note that maximising synergies is important for both infectious and non-infectious diseases, and both endemic and epidemic diseases. However, we observed that, in countries at all income levels, counterproductive competition and fragmented investment are too often present in the implementation of these agendas, undermining the ability of health systems to achieve any of them—what we refer to as dis-synergies. For example, as highlighted by our in-depth country case studies, in some contexts, investments in health security detract from attempts to achieve universal health coverage, or efforts towards universal health coverage miss opportunities to promote healthy lives (ie, health promotion). Such dis-synergies weaken health systems, making them less able to cope with day-to-day and emergency demands, and render people more vulnerable to serious disease, as we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic."

04.04.2023 – British Medical Journal (bmj)

What is a justice-oriented approach to global health.

"Calls for justice-oriented approaches to global health gained momentum and visibility during COVID-19. For many years scholars and community leaders have been discussing and debating the ideas of health equity and social justice,1 but with the COVID-19 pandemic the social and health injustices suffered by millions around the world came into a sharp relief in popular news media. Moreover, as it has been repeatedly stated, the pandemic and our responses both revealed and exacerbated injustices that have always been there. Rather than tinkering with the status quo, there is growing momentum behind advocacy for a new approach to global health and building a new global health architecture with fundamentally different foundational principles grounded in justice."

• British Medical Journal

27.03.2023 – The Lancet

Unravelling the commercial determinants of health.

New Lancet Series

"In early March, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 200 people—including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon—signed a letter strongly criticising pharmaceutical companies for putting a desire to make extraordinary profits before the needs of humanity. Selling publicly funded vaccines, treatments, and tests to the highest bidder resulted in inequities that cost more than a million lives, while private companies made billions of dollars. The signatories called on world leaders to ensure that such an injustice is never repeated. The conflict between profits and health equity is not new. The global health community fought for decades to provide access to antiretrovirals for patients with HIV/AIDS in less-resourced settings."

• The Lancet Editorial
• The Lancet Series

Taking action for universal health coverage

On the road to the 2023 UN High-level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC)

UHC2030 "The 2023 UN High-level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) provides countries and all stakeholders an opportunity to reinvigorate progress towards delivering health for all. An action-oriented outcome focusing on building resilient and equitable health systems is key to provide the basis for implementation and accountability, building on the 2019 Political Declaration. In September 2019, at the first United Nations High-Level Meeting on UHC (UN HLM) UHC), world leaders endorsed the most ambitious and comprehensive political declaration on health in history. However, according to the latest global monitoring report on universal health coverage, UHC progress is not on track, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world further away from the 2023 targets set by the political declaration."

• Latest global monitoring report on universal health coverage
• Building resilience to global health threats and leaving no one behind

Bulletin #43: WHO Executive Board sets agenda for 2023

People's Health Dispatch "The World Health Organization’s Executive Board is holding its 152nd meeting in Geneva from January 30 to February 7. The Board’s decisions will set most of the agenda to be addressed by WHO during the year, and include health emergencies, progress reports towards Universal Health Coverage, and the state of rehabilitation services, among other things. Despite a cramped agenda, health activists have warned that key problems are being left unaddressed by the Executive Board. These include structural hurdles in the way of achieving Health for All, including the increasing influence of the corporate sector on matters concerning global health. While this affects all of WHO’s fields of work, one of the most hit is nutrition. Tackling malnutrition and hunger has been at the top of the organization’s agenda for decades, but effective action is still missing.

• People's Health Dispatch

07.02.2023 – Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2)

Moving together for universal access to healthcare what to expect from a un high level meeting on uhc and a related resolution of the who executive board.

"In the political declaration of the 2019 UN High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on Universal Health Coverage “Moving Together to Build a Healthier World”, world leaders committed for all people to have access to quality essential health services and quality, safe, effective, affordable, and essential medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and health technologies, without experiencing financial hardship and without discrimination by 2030. At the time, a number of civil society organizations criticised the political declaration which was considered a weak and unspecific wish-list that would not lead to any substantive change in people’s access to healthcare. Four years later, the World Health Organization and governments prepare for another UN HLM on UHC and a related World Health Assembly resolution. But the reality is dire: we have not “moved together” and the world is certainly not healthier. The COVID-19 pandemic has further weakened health systems and it has revealed the consequences of deep inequities, economic and financial injustice, commercialisation of healthcare, and the lack of solidarity and international action."

• Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2) - Recording 24 January 2023
• 23-27 January 2023: Series of public briefings and policy debates ahead of WHO EB 152, hosted by G2H2

06.12.2022 – OECD

Climate tipping points.

Insights for Effective Policy Action

"This report reviews evidence that overshooting 1.5°C may push the earth over several tipping points, leading to irreversible and severe changes in the climate system. If triggered, tipping point impacts will rapidly cascade through socio-economic and ecological systems, leading to severe effects on human and natural systems and imposing important challenges for human adaptation. Of particular concern are the likely collapse of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets and the abrupt melting of permafrost grounds in the Arctic, which would result in additional sea-level rise and greenhouse gas releases, leading to more warming. Based on the most recent science and consultations with renowned experts, Climate Tipping Points: Insights for Effective Policy Action argues that it is no longer appropriate to consider the risk of crossing tipping points as low-probability."

• OECD Report

05.12.2022 – Medicus Mundi Suisse

La pharma pour tous: rectifier l’image de l’industrie pharmaceutique.

Med in Switzerland #47 de Beat Ringger

Dans mon dernier livre ‘La pharma pour tous’, j’analyse la crise des médicaments qui couve, certes, depuis des décennies déjà, mais qui est justement en train de s’exacerber de façon considérable: prix qui augmentent de manière vertigineuse; importants médicaments qui ne sont plus disponibles; résistances accrues aux antibiotiques contre lesquelles aucun nouveau médicament n’est développé; clivage global au Nord et au Sud, toujours et encore attisé. Au beau milieu de cette crise, il y a la Suisse en tant que l’un des sites économiques majeurs du secteur pharmaceutique.

• Medicus Mundi Schweiz

05.12.2022 – Global Health Now

Africa’s new approach to public health.

"Existing patterns of health funding and emergency response in Africa—many of which focus on filling short-term gaps and aligning with donor interests—are insufficient. The 255,000+ COVID-19 deaths across the continent, as well as the many hospitalizations and long recoveries have delivered a painful lesson. (...) If we do not act now to strengthen health security and build resilient health systems, Africa, and indeed the world, will remain vulnerable to disease outbreaks and epidemics. Africa’s vision of a New Public Health Order, first proposed in 2017, is actively tackling health challenges and planning for the future, shaped by local leadership and regional solutions. It aims to ensure that effective health systems exist before a crisis and remain resilient during and post-crisis."

• Global Health Now

05.12.2022 – Health Policy Watch

Eu’s new global health strategy stresses regional collaboration, seeks more influence for europe.

"Stronger international rules and cooperation mechanisms on health are at the heart of the European Union’s new global health strategy, which was launched on Wednesday.  The strategy is based on three priorities: ensuring that people stay well throughout their lives, strengthening health systems particularly by advancing universal health coverage, and applying a ‘One Health’ approach to preventing health threats."

• EU Global Health Strategy

08.11.2022 – People's Health Dispatch

How the world bank weakens health systems.

"Natalie Rhodes, PhD candidate at University of Leeds, and People’s Health Movement, along with Remco van de Pas, researcher at the Centre for Planetary Health Policy, and People’s Health Movement discuss in detail about the implications of the newly established World Bank fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response and the Bank’s other policies pertaining to public health."

08.11.2022 – World Health Organization (WHO)

Systems for health: everyone has a role.

Flagship report of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research

"This Report defines systems for health as those ready to respond to both the known and unknown, present and future threats. Systems for health anticipate and address social, economic, environmental and commercial drivers of health to secure and enable healthier societies by aligning efforts to ensure health security and create healthy populations, systems for health not only provide, protect, and promote health, but also harness technology working with people and communities to deliver physical, mental and social health for all populations across the life course. This report provides actionable guidance for policy and practice and is a significant contribution to our future health…”

• WHO - Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research SCI

UHC2030 Related Initiatives champion action to strengthen health systems

At the Seventh Global Symposium on Health Systems Research many of the UHC2030 Related Initiatives will be showcasing current outcomes and efforts in making health systems more equitable and resilient.

UHC2030 "The Seventh Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR2022) organised by Health Systems Global (HSG), comes at a time when more than ever we need collaboration and collective learning to build strong health systems that will support a healthy, fair and safe world. The theme for HSR2022 is “Health Systems Performance in the Political Agenda: Sharing Lessons for Current and Future Global Challenges”. Focused on the high-level political agenda and on the ground realities, HSR2022 is set to provide a catalytic forum where we can come together to share, raise awareness, advocate for change, and develop partnerships for action."

05.11.2022 – Medicus Mundi International (MMI)

How to cope with a world in crisis.

Documentation of the Series of MMI policy dialogues 2022, 26-31 October 2022

Climate change, pandemic and war: these are huge and partly new challenges for organizations working in the field of international health cooperation. The 2022 series of MMI policy dialogues is related to the Symposium “The world in crisis – climate change, pandemic, and war” hosted by Medicus Mundi Switzerland in Basel, on 2 November. As international network, we usee the opportunity to extend the conversation and invite a broader audience to have a deeper look at how (exactly) to cope with the “world in crisis”.

• Medicus Mundi International (MMI)
• Documentation Webinar I: Introduciendo la crisis climática en la cooperación sanitaria: de la teoría a los primeros pasos en la práctica
• Documentation Webniar II: How to better care for those who care for us in times of health emergencies
• Documentation Webinar III: Why Post Growth policies are essential for planetary health
• Documentation Webinar IV: The project of a EU global health strategy: in whose interest will it be?

10.10.2022 – Kaiser Family Foundation – KFF

As big pharma loses interest in new antibiotics, infections are only growing stronger.

"Forget covid-19, monkeypox, and other viruses for the moment and consider another threat troubling infectious disease specialists: common urinary tract infections, or UTIs, that lead to emergency room visits and even hospitalizations because of the failure of oral antibiotics. There’s no Operation Warp Speed charging to rescue us from the germs that cause these infections, which expanded their range during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. In the past year, the FDA declined to approve two promising oral drugs — sulopenem and tebipenem — to treat drug-resistant UTIs, saying it needed more evidence they work as well as current drugs."

• Kaiser Family Foundation – KFF

Decolonizing Health in Africa

The task group Decolonizing Health in Africa was set up in 2021 by a group of individuals and organisations interested in decolonizing African health systems.

Medicus Mundi International (MMI) "We are interested in working with civil society in Africa and the rest of the world to contribute to bringing coloniality in health to an end through exposing colonial tendencies in health systems, sharing experiences and research on coloniality, and aiding in global health. We aim to centre African voices on the decolonial agenda. Webinar series 2021-2022: Find the documentation of an ongoing a series of webinars organized by the “Decolonization of Health in Africa” task team in 2021-2022 as part of the overall documentation of Kampala Initiative webinars, and get in touch with the task team members to know more about what is next."

13.09.2022 – The New Humanitarian

Ten efforts to decolonise aid.

Changing practices around funding, leadership, narrative and identity.

"Since the Black Lives Matter movement re-emerged in 2020, there has been a lot of talk about decolonising aid but not as much clarity about what it means in practice. While ideological differences in the debate remain entrenched, many initiatives are underway to further the decolonisation agenda in practical ways. Here are 10 of them."

• The New Humanitarian

12.09.2022 – British Medical Journal (bmj)

Reimagining human rights in global health: what will it take.

"The right to health is not only enshrined within the preamble of the Constitution of the WHO, but exists in international human rights treaties, regional instruments and over 100 constitutions around the world.1 However, even prior to the pandemic and the events of the last 2 years, it was already abundantly clear that the rhetoric of a right to health did not match up to reality. It was not serving those most in need within countries at the local level, nor was it being fully addressed by the primary global health institutions (eg, WHO, UNICEF and others) with the responsibility for upholding rights and health in their mandates. A closer look highlights an interplay of factors contributing to this."

• British Medical Journal (bmj)

Convergence of conflicts, COVID and climate crises, jeopardize global goals

UNITED NATIONS "Intersecting global crises are threatening the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and impacting food supplies, health, education, and security across countries worldwide, according to a new UN report released on Thursday. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 reveals that the convergence of increased fighting, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and the long-term climate crisis, could push an additional 75 to 95 million people into extreme poverty this year – compared with pre-pandemic projections – and jeopardize the SDG blueprint for more resilient, peaceful and equal societies. “The road map laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals is clear,” stated Liu Zhenmin, UN Economic and Social Affairs chief (DESA), adding that “just as the impact of crises is compounded when they are linked, so are solutions”.

• United Nations
• The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022

08.07.2022 – SDG KNOWLEDGE HUB

Hlpf opens with expressions of concern over sdg setbacks.

"The 2022 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) opened on 5 July 2022 with expressions of concern over the setbacks the global community has faced since the last in-person session of the HLPF in 2019. Nevertheless, speakers expressed optimism that we can improve the resilience of our socioeconomic and health systems. As reported in the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), speakers highlighted challenges that were unforeseen when the SDGs were adopted in 2015, including the global pandemic, conflicts, and the resulting food crisis and setbacks in education, as “reasons we are losing ground on SDG implementation.”

• SDG KNOWLEDGE HUB
• Report on SDG Progress

08.07.2022 – UNITED NATIONS

Building back better and advancing the sdgs.

HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM 2022, 5-15 July 2022, New York

"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused extensive suffering and death around the world. Beyond the many millions who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, billions of people have had their lives, livelihoods, education, physical and mental health disrupted. Large-scale economic disruption has increased the poverty, hunger and economic vulnerability of hundreds of millions of people. The pandemic has set back progress towards many SDGs almost everywhere and slowed implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. At the same time, historic progress was made in some areas such as use of ICT for public services. The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) also made major advances with the adoption of the Glasgow Climate Pact. Today’s global challenges, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the major food, energy and financial crises triggered by the war in Ukraine, along with the deteriorating humanitarian situation, require extraordinary efforts to address the major risks we are facing, with 1.2 billion people living how to make up lost ground and accelerate progress."

• UNITED NATIONS - High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
• Video: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times

06.07.2022 – Platform Agenda 2030

Business as usual at the expense of our planet.

Half-time remarks on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Switzerland ( Civil Society Report 2022)

"Switzerland is lagging behind. It is already half time, but we have not achieved anything close to half the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015. In this report, experts from civil society pinpoint the shortfalls and show what our country must do to satisfy the SDGs. The report published by the Federal Council itself clearly shows how haltingly the 17 SDGs and their targets are being implemented. Switzerland’s official Voluntary National Review, which is presented to the United Nations, shares our analysis in many respects, but without proposing any measures or specific strategies to remedy the deficits."

• Civil Society Report 2022

01.06.2022 – Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2)

16-20 may 2022: people’s realities, determinants of health, democratic governance: connecting dots outside the doors of the world health assembly.

RECORDINGS of the series of G2H2 hosted public policy debates in the week before the opening of the 75th World Health Assembly

"At the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) scheduled for 22-28 May 2022, the size of delegations allowed to attend the the deliberations in-person at the Palais des Nations will be strictly limited. This awkward setup is explained by the Secretariat of the World Health Organization with capacity issues (delayed renovation of the Palais des Nations), and it has found its way into the title of the May 2022 series of policy debates hosted by the Geneva Global Health Hub: “People’s realities, determinants of health, democratic governance: Connecting dots outside the doors of the World Health Assembly”. Outside the doors of the World Health Assembly – this is indeed where most of us will be…"

• Geneva Global Health HUB (G2G2)

29.04.2022 – Health Policy Watch

Senior who leadership reshuffle expected after member states agree on new financing formula for global health agency.

"A core group of WHO member states have agreed on a landmark move to boost their annual “assessed” contributions to the global health organization to cover 50% of its core budget needs by 2028-2029 – but contingent on internal WHO reforms to boost efficiency and transparency. Partly in response to the reform call, a reshuffle of WHO’s senior management is expected to be announced shortly after WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is re-elected at the 75th World Health Assembly, which meets 22-28 May."

29.04.2022 – The Lancet

The lancet global health commission on financing primary health care: putting people at the centre.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need for well-functioning primary health care (PHC) into sharp focus. PHC is the best platform for providing basic health interventions (including effective management of non-communicable diseases) and essential public health functions. PHC is widely recognised as a key component of all high-performing health systems and is an essential foundation of universal health coverage. (...) In this report, the Lancet Global Health Commission on financing PHC argues that all countries need to both invest more and invest better in PHC by designing their health financing arrangements—mobilising additional pooled public funding, allocating and protecting sufficient funds for PHC, and incentivising providers to maintain the health of the populations they serve—in ways that place people at the centre and by addressing inequities first."

• The Lancet Commission

29.04.2022 – Medicus Mundi Switzerland

Are we on the pathway to ensuring our youngest generation receives nurturing care.

In case you missed our exciting webinar series: Here you can find the summary report and recordings of all three webinars

3-Part Webinar Series - offered by MMS Although global attention to early childhood development has been established through its inclusion in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 250 million children (43%) younger than 5 years in low-income and middle-income countries are at risk of not achieving their developmental potential due to poverty and nutritional deficit.

• Recording Webinar 1: What is nurturing care?
• Recording Webinar 2: How can we strengthen nurturing care through health and nutrition services?
• Recording Webinar 3: How can NGOs work with government and health systems to ensure all children receive nurturing care?
• Download (pdf | 338 kB)

05.04.2022 – Health Policy Watch

South-east asia, africa and middle east are world’s air pollution hot spots in who’s largest-ever data release.

"In its largest release of data on air quality ever, WHO has found that most of the world’s population are breathing unsafe levels of air pollutant – particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – which cause excess illness and premature death from respiratory disease, as well as from cardiovascular disease and cancers. “Air Quality is poorest in specific regions, like the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Southeast Asian region and also Africa, said Sophie Gumy, WHO technical officer of the updated data at a press briefing on Monday."

Financing Global Health 2020

The impact of COVID-19

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) "The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is pleased to present Financing Global Health 2020, the 12th in the report series that tracks global health spending. The 2019 report was written and edited in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we posed a series of questions pertinent to the evolving pandemic situation: will there be enough hospital beds? Will there be enough ventilators? What about personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer – will there be enough to go around? In the year that ensued, COVID-19 has continued to exact a terrible toll. The pandemic has taken millions of lives, infected tens of millions more, and done trillions of dollars of economic damage around the world."

• Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

07.02.2022 – Bulletin World Health Organization

Achieving sustainable health equity.

By Arachu Castro, Michael Marmot, Juan Garay, Armando de Negrid & Paulo Busse on behalf of the Sustainable Health Equity Movement

"To achieve sustainable health equity, we need to address two intertwined challenges: social inequality and the climate crisis. They both create health inequalities within and between countries; when these health inequalities are avoidableand unjust, they are known as health inequities. Building on the extensive knowledge and resources that already exist to sustainably improve health for everyone, the Sustainable Health Equity Movement aims to promote sustainable health equity as an ethical principle that guides all national and international economic, social and environmental policies."

• Bulletin World Health Organization

07.02.2022 – Geneva Health Files

The inevitable fragmentation of global health: the signs from who eb 150.

"Over the many years of tracking WHO governing body discussions, seldom did I witness the kind of urgency, clarity, and decisiveness that countries have shown this week" - Introduction by Priti Patnaik

"Health emergencies appear to have upstaged all other aspects of global health policy-making. At least that’s what it seems like, observing the proceedings of WHO’s 150th Executive Board. The governance of health emergencies could well turn out to be a decisive lever to reorient the entire workings, financing and priorities of WHO significantly."

• Geneva Health Files

WHO under DG Tedros - The Last Five Years

Guest editorial by K M Gopakumar, a legal expert at the Third World Network, and a critical, seasoned watcher of WHO governance and politics. Tedros, he says, has “fast-tracked multi-stakerholderism”. Read on….

"The 150th Meeting of the Executive Board of WHO once again nominated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as Director General (DG) and his re-election process will culminate at the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA). Tedros is the first DG from the African region and precisely for this reason hopes from him were high. Unlike his predecessor, Margaret Chan, Tedros's approach has been inclusive and the leadership team at the headquarters has representation from all the major member states, no matter the financial implications of a top-heavy management team."

25.01.2022 – Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2)

Beyond the agenda of the who executive board: people’s realities, determinants of health, democratic governance….

Documentation of civil society workshops and debates from 17-21 January 2022

In the week before the 150th Session of the WHO Executive Board, a series of meetings organized by the Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2) and some of its members provided a space for sharing, assessing and debating health policy and governance challenges that go beyond the items covered by the formal agenda of WHO EB, bridging from health policies to people’s realities, addressing determinants of health and promoting democratic governance. In case you missed this - here you can find the documentation.

• Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2)

What is wrong with global health?

The Lancet "At the beginning of 2021, The Lancet Global Health invited readers, particularly those who are not regular contributors to our pages, to share their expertise and experiences with us in the form of Correspondence, Viewpoints, and Comments on the theme: What is wrong with global health? This page presents a collection of all published responses."

• The Lancet Global Health

07.12.2021 – Harm Reduction International

Integrated and person-centred harm reduction service.

"A person’s health is multifaceted and interconnected. In order for any service to genuinely empower people to improve their health, it needs to recognise the various factors that contribute to it. Integrating health and social services enables these services to be responsive to the needs of their clients. Where health and social services are disparate and disconnected, they can only address particular symptoms or conditions of a person’s health. On the other hand, integrated services are capable of addressing a person’s health in a broader context."

• Harm Reduction International

Medicus Mundi Switzerland Season 4 of the MMS “Health for All” podcast portrays six people working in the field of disability inclusive development. They are dedicated to making the world more inclusive for the 1 billion people living with disabilities. - This podcast season has been developed by CBM Switzerland in collaboration with Medicus Mundi Switzerland.

• Episode I with Hannah Kuper: Why is data and research on disability so important?
• Episode II with Mirjam Gasser and Chris Heer: Nothing about us, without us!
• Episode III with José Viera: Let’s stop discrimination and recognize diversity
• Episode IV with Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame: “They think women and girls with disabilities aren’t sexual”
• Episode V with Ben Adams: From disability exclusion to inclusion in humanitarian response
• Episode VI with Andrea Pregel: Making telehealth services inclusive for all

Communities and knowledge production

International Health Policy "Benefit finding (looking for positive aspects while living through a difficult situation) is a skill we had probably practiced before, but COVID-19 pushed us all to identify good things coming out of a very difficult season for humans on planet earth. (...) One benefit in this persistent and perverse pandemic is the thinking, scholarship and voices recognising the value of communities to solve our biggest and most complex problems. These global conversations are playing catchup with key ideas that have been discussed among indigenous researchers for years."

• International Health Policy

Global Health Matters is a new podcast that explores how innovative and inspiring research contributes to achieving health for all

Global Health Matters podcast

TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases Hosted by Dr Garry Aslanyan with a variety of guests, the podcast discusses key questions, such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research, promoting gender equality and women in global health leadership, the pros and cons of open access to research, the role of implementation research and many other topics and issues. Through the podcast, we aim to discuss and share experiences and views on different aspects of global health research, with a focus on low- and middle-income country perspectives.

• TDR Global health matters podcast

World Zoonoses Day: The Jigjiga One Health Initiative

Impact story by Jakob Zinsstag, Lensse Gobu, Rea Tschopp and Mohammed Ibrahim Abdikadir

Swiss TPH "The specific needs of nomadic pastoralist communities are often not considered in public services. This is also the case in the health sector. In Ethiopia, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is supporting the establishment of a regional One Health centre of excellence with the aim to improve the health and wellbeing of pastoralist communities in the Horn of Africa."

30.07.2021 – Be-cause health

Report learning session – how can we strengthen health systems worldwide.

In May the working group Determinants of International Health of Be-cause health and the Action Platform for Health & Solidarity organised a learning session on how to strengthen health systems worldwide. Ravi Ram, Marco Angelo, Clara Affun-Adegbulu, Moisés García and Gloria Cruz joined us to share their views.

Against the backdrop of a raging pandemic, the working group Determinants of International Health set up a virtual learning session to look into how we can strengthen health systems worldwide and how development policies can contribute to that objective. The learning session took place on May 18 2021 and was attended by a diverse group of people working in the development and health sector. This report summarises the main discussion points of the session and sets forth a number of potential areas for future work.

• Watch the recording now!
• Download (pdf | 105 kB)

Inclusion in international cooperation: commitment and reality

MMS Bulletin #158, June 2021

MMS Around 15% of the world’s population, or one billion people, live with some form of disability, 80% of them in middle and low-income countries. As the population ages, the number of people living with disabilities will continue to increase globally in the coming decades. Globally, people with disabilities face disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination and social exclusion, a situation that international agreements aim to address. The majority of states have committed to upholding and implementing the rights of persons with disabilities through their equal participation in all areas of life by promoting inclusion in international cooperation. This issue of the Bulletin deals with the current status in this process and highlights the challenges that still exist, even so in Switzerland.

• MMS Bulletin

Medicus Mundi Switzerland The second season of the MMS podcast "Health for All" portrays three people who are working to fight malaria. Still every two minutes a child dies from malaria, an entirely preventable and treatable disease. Each year there are more than 200 million new infections, over 400,000 of which end deadly. This disease shows far-reaching economic, social and cultural consequences. In this episode, Carine Weiss talks to the executive secretary of the Swiss Malaria Group Julia Richter, about their commitment, why the World Malaria Day is important and why collaboration between different actors in the fight against malaria is crucial.

• Episode 1 with Julia Richter: Malaria and Switzerland: How a country’s engagement matters
• Episode 2 with Christian Lengeler: There is no excuse for the world to still have malaria
• Episode 3 with Valentina Buj: Malaria: Gender and the Right to Health

DISASTER LAW

Disaster law guidance documents provided by IFRC

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies "Disasters cause enormous human suffering and loss, but the right laws and policies can help keep communities safe and save lives. Laws and policies underpin all aspects of disaster risk management. They form the often-invisible foundation of disaster risk management, protecting and preparing communities all around the world. Despite significant improvements in recent decades, many countries still need to strengthen their disaster laws to effectively manage the risks and impacts of disasters. (...) As we face climate change, a pandemic and increasingly frequent and intense disasters, the need for effective disaster laws is ever-increasing. The importance of domestic disaster laws, policies and plans is supported by three key international instruments: the Sendai Framework; the Sustainable Development Goals; and the Paris Agreement."

• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

23.04.2021 – Medicus Mundi International

Climate crisis and health: measures to act against the silent pandemic.

"World Earth Day, 22 April 2021, Medicus Mundi Spain | The relationship between environment and health has been known since time immemorial. The latest warning has been the relentless emergence of Covid-19, which has hit us in the form of a pandemic on a massive scale and at a infection rate never seen before in the evolution of the planet and of human beings. By now we assume that infectious diseases are emerging at an ever-increasing speed, most of them caused by pathogens that jump from animals."

• Medicus Mundi International

"Was mir erst nach einiger Zeit auffällt: In den Strassen, auf dem Markt, vor den Häusern fehlt eine Generation fast gänzlich..."

Ein Rückblick und Abschied von Stefan Hofmann, der sich nach 17 Jahren als Koordinator von Kwa Wazee, in den Ruhestand verabschiedet

Kwa Wazee Als vor 17 Jahren die Idee entstand, im Hochland Tansanias alte Menschen, die sich in akutester Not befanden, mit etwas Bargeld zu unterstützen, dachte niemand daran, dass daraus ein umfangreiches Programm entstehen würde und dass Kwa Wazee – ‘für alte Menschen’ vielleicht am Anfang einer soziale Bewegung stehen könnte. Anfang 2021 habe ich den grössten Teil meiner Aufgaben und meiner Verantwortung abgegeben und bin selber zum Rentner geworden :-). Das ist ein passender Anlass, um mich zu verabschieden bei all jenen Freundinnen und Freunden von Kwa Wazee, welche die Entwicklung des Programms mit ihrem Vertrauen und ihrer Grosszügigkeit seit vielen Jahren mitgetragen haben – viele von ihnen von allem Anfang an. Sehr gerne teile ich mit euch ein paar Momente und Stationen meiner persönlichen Entdeckungsreise. Von Stefan Hofmann.

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21.04.2021 – Health Policy Watch

Who holds first ever pre- world health assembly session with civil society.

"The World Health Organization (WHO) and member states have an obligation to listen to stakeholders in a “sympathetic and respectful manner” as non-state actors (NSAs) play critical roles in supporting global health work generally – and more immediately addressing COVID-19 and its impacts on communities. That call was made by Mara Burr, director of multilateral relations at the United States Department of Health and Human Services/Global Affairs, during a first-ever informal meeting between civil society groups, WHO officials and WHO member states ahead of the formal 74th World Health Assembly, 24 May-1 June."

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«Dieses Baby ist mein Leben»

Muttertagsgeschichte, 8. April 2021

Kinderhilfe Bethlehem Mariam (24) ist im sechsten Monat schwanger, als sie schwer an Corona erkrankt. Ein Notkaiserschnitt rettet ihr Baby, aber sie selbst stirbt einen Tag nach der Geburt. Ihre Tochter wird daraufhin wochenlang im Caritas Baby Hospital behandelt. Eine Reportage aus Bethlehem von Andrea Krogmann.

• Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
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Global report on ageism

World Health Organization "The Global report on ageism outlines a framework for action to reduce ageism including specific recommendations for different actors (e.g. government, UN agencies, civil society organizations, private sector). It brings together the best available evidence on the nature and magnitude of ageism, its determinants and its impact. It outlines what strategies work to prevent and counter ageism, identifies gaps and proposes future lines of research to improve our understanding of ageism."

• World Health Organization

A Guide to Global Health Diplomacy

Graduate Institute Geneva - Global Health Centre "The system of diplomacy has been facing several challenges with the Covid-19 pandemic and new political and economic realities. The mechanisms of global health diplomacy play a key role in coordinating, advancing, and resolving health issues at the global level. To better equip health diplomats and negotiators, the Global Health Centre published a guide to global health diplomacy, produced with the support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the World Health Organization. Written, reviewed and supported by global health experts from different backgrounds, countries and sectors, this training manual provides key concepts on global health diplomacy, outlines the major actors and activities shaping the global health ecosystem, and presents practical tools to strengthen negotiation skills."

• Global Health Centre

Digitale Stolpersteine auf dem Weg zur Gesundheit für alle

Med in Switzerland #22 September 2020

MMS Medicus Mundi Schweiz analysierte, wie und inwieweit seine Mitgliedsorganisationen digitale Technologien in der internationalen Gesundheitszusammenarbeit einsetzen. Die Umfrage ergab, dass gute Ansätze und Wissen in einigen Organisationen vorhanden sind. Um jedoch diese Technologien so einzusetzen, dass die Gesundheitsversorgung aller verbessert werden kann, sind Strategien notwendig, welche auf lokalen Kapazitäten und einer ethisch verantwortungsvollen Umsetzung basieren, schreibt die MMS-Projektleiterin Carine Weiss. (Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash)

• www.medicusmundi.ch

Mapping Digital Technologies in Health Used by MMS Members

MMS This report reveals the results of the mapping exercise undertaken by MMS of its members’ use of digital technologies in health. The aim of the survey was to assess the knowledge and use of digital health technologies and to facilitate and foster collaboration between MMS member organisations. In short, it was designed to obtain a better understanding of who is doing what, how and where. (Photo by William Iven on Unsplash)

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New Publication: “SGTP 1943-2017

Swiss Society of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology The SSTMP celebrates its 75th anniversary. That is why we would like to offer you a short history of the society. The richly illustrated jubilee book focuses on the many milestones in the past, introduces some of the eminent members of the society and offers a glimpse into the future.

• www.sstmp.ch
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It’s the inequity, stupid

MMS Nachrichten Juli 2020

MMS Die gegenwärtige Gesundheitskrise und die Black-Lives-Matter-Bewegung zeigen deutlich, weshalb Ungleichheit und Ungerechtigket die zentralen Faktoren sind, welche die Gesundheit von Bevölkerungen bestimmen. (Foto: by Vince Fleming on Unsplash)

Palliative Care - not a Luxury, but a Human Right and an Essential Element of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

MMS Bulletin #154, July 2020

MMS Millions of people worldwide, especially the poor, are still dying with little or no pain relief or palliative care. They suffer the most severe pain because government policies in many countries are hindering access to affordable painkillers, the funding for an expansion of palliative care is largely lacking, and healthcare professionals are not adequately trained. At the same time, rather than being a luxury, palliative care is relatively inexpensive as well as being a moral and ethical imperative. In accordance with the WHO and international organisations, the experts in our current MMS Bulletin are advocating for the transition away from a health service that is primarily geared towards curing illnesses and to a more supportive medical system that places chronically ill or dying people, and improving their quality of life, at its centre. The articles in this issue offer an interesting global cross-section of the situation of palliative care in many countries. (Photo: CanSupport doctor at the home of a cancer patient in New Delhi, India, explaining to his spouse how to give pain medication/ © CanSupport)

Corona: Is there hope after suffering?

Med in Switzerland #19 May 2020

MMS Covid-19 lays bare insufficient progress on the 2030 agenda. Inequity is on the rise, and going back to “normal” after the pandemic is not desirable. The old normal is not good enough, leaving too many people exposed to unfair chances at quality life which ultimately endangers everyone’s wellbeing and health. Whilst the pandemic might not be impactful enough to lead to a true revolution, Bart Vander Plaetse, head of programme unit for FAIRMED hopes it will give more honest and intrinsic impetus to the 2030 ambitions. (Photo: © FAIRMED)

MMS Dossier

MMS The disease caused by the corona virus has spread all over the world, which is why the World Health Organisation has declared a pandemic. While medical care is already reaching the limits of its capacity in European countries, it will be impossible in the global south with similarly increasing numbers. In this folder we offer background information on the situation in resource-poor countries and political analyses of the consequences for global health. In addition we inform how our member organisations and their partner organisations are affected by the situation and how they deal with it. (Photo: Coronavirus/EpicTop10.com/flickr, CC BY 2.0)

The disease caused by the corona virus has spread all over the world, which is why the World Health Organisation has declared a pandemic. While medical care is already reaching the limits of its capacity in European countries, it will be impossible in the global south with similarly increasing numbers. In this folder we offer background information on the situation in resource-poor countries and political analyses of the consequences for global health. In addition we inform how our member organisations and their partner organisations are affected by the situation and how they deal with it. (Photo: Coronavirus/EpicTop10.com/flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Inequity in Health Persists: Should Switzerland Be Concerned?

MMS Bulletin #153, March 2020

MMS The 2019 symposium held by the Medicus Mundi Switzerland network focused on the underlying causes of inequities and injustices in the health status of population groups. Inequality of opportunity and injustice make people sick: whether it is in Switzerland or on the European level, in India or Chad. Using a wide variety of examples, the experts demonstrated that if we want to achieve “Health for All” by 2030, we have to break through the social and structural barriers to equal opportunities. The MMS symposium drew new lessons and insights and showed what needs to be done so that access to health for all worldwide can be realised as quickly as possible. Read the fascinating articles in the new edition of our Bulletin. (Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash)

Newsletter hmswiss

Januar 2020

Child Health beyond the Age of Five - Neglected and Forgotten?

MMS Bulletin #152, December 2019

MMS Middle childhood is often referred to as the ‘forgotten years’ of development because the majority of research has focused on development in early childhood or on adolescent growth. It is evident that there is a lack of data and information about this age group, the 5-10 year olds, and in many ways even up to the age of 15. This MMS Bulletin addresses the main topics of middle childhood: from the consequences of child marriage and the overburdening of parents bringing up their children, to better hygiene during menstruation. The Bulletin reveals the knowledge gaps, missed chances and challenges in reaching this age group in order to provide them with more effective prevention, healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation. (Photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash)

Eine proaktive Rolle der Schweiz zum besseren Schutz von Zivilisten im Krieg

Von Marco Kirschbaum, Geschäftsleiter von Handicap International Schweiz

Handicap International Bewaffnete Konflikte spielen sich immer mehr in Städten ab. Heutzutage sind 90 Prozent der Opfer von Angriffen mit Explosivwaffen in bewohnten Gebieten Zivilisten. In der Zeit von 1914 bis 1918 machten sie 15 Prozent der Opferaus, von 1939 bis 1945 waren es 50 Prozent. Im Jahr 2018 wurden 20.384 Zivilisten durch Explosivwaffen getötet oder verletztlaut der renommierten Nichtregierungsorganisation Action On Armed Violence. Dieser Trend moderner Konflikte ist verheerend für die Zivilbevölkerung und missachtet das humanitäre Völkerrecht und die Genfer Konventionen. (Foto: HI)

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Dokumentation MMS Symposium 2019

Medicus Mundi Schweiz Equity and the sustainability of “health for all”, “leaving nobody behind”, without leaving behind the current hegemonic economic growth paradigm, is a rhetoric goal of unbearable lightness. (Eduardo Missoni)

Santé mentale des jeunes et ses défis - Quelle approche adopter lors de situations culturelles différentes ?

SAVE THE DATE! 19.09.2019 / 13h00-17h00, Genève (le lieu sera précisé ultérieurement)

Medicus Mundi Suisse/ Médecins du Monde La santé mentale englobe la promotion du bien-être, la prévention des troubles mentaux, le traitement et la réadaptation des personnes qui en sont atteintes. Près de 450 millions de personnes à l’échelle mondiale sont concernées. Trop souvent stigmatisée et ignorée, la santé mentale et psycho-sociale est une composante essentielle des soins de santé, notamment dans les situations de crises et de conflits. Langue : français. Entrée libre sur inscription : enregistrez-vous auprès de : contact@medicusmundi.ch. Délai d’inscription : 9 septembre 2019. La table ronde est organisée en collaboration avec Médecins du Monde Suisse.

Migration and Health – it concerns us all!

MMS Bulletin #150, July 2019

MMS Migration is a reality of the 21st century, but many transit and host countries are failing to assume their responsibilities and are denying refugees and migrants their rights and the necessary measures of protection and integration. Likewise, for a long time insufficient attention has been paid to the topic of prevention and access to healthcare for migrant populations, and shortages in medical care are rife. In spite of the existence of international agreements and treaties, and the World Health Organisation recently adopting an action plan for refugees and migrants to receive equal opportunities in healthcare, many issues and key challenges remain. The articles in our MMS Bulletin give an insight into this complex topic. (Photo: Irak/ © Ibrahim Malla/IFRC)

Weit unten in Somalia droht eine neue Hungersnot

Generalversammlung von Swisso Kalmo 2019

Swisso Kalmo Klimaerwärmung in Afrika mit katastrophalen Folgen, Notaufruf der UNO: Somalia ist mit einer weiteren schweren Dürre konfrontiert, wie der Vertreter der UNO für die Koordinierung humanitären Hilfe in Somalia am 20. Mai 2019 in Mogadischu informierte. Schon in der Hungersnot des Jahres 2011 in Ostafrika sind nach Angaben der UNO allein in Somalia 260'000 Menschen umgekommen. Heute sind in Somalia 4,5 Millionen Menschen von der Trockenheit betroffen. Sie sind auf Hilfe angewiesen. Die UNO hat deshalb aufgerufen Somalia zu helfen, um eine Katstrophe abzuwenden. (Foto: Swisso Kalmo)

• www.swisso-kalmo.ch
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Aufforderung an Politiker: NEIN sagen zu Bombenangriffen auf Zivilisten

Kampagne „Stop bombing civilians“

Handicap International Handicap International (HI) fordert die Politiker dazu auf, sich gegen Bombardierungen auf Wohngebiete einzusetzen. Solche Bombenangriffe sind in aktuellen Konflikten fast systematisch geworden und treffen zu 92 Prozent Zivilisten, die getötet oder verletzt werden. Die Bundesräte und kantonalen Politiker werden dazu aufgerufen, Stellung zu beziehen, indem sie die Petition unterzeichnen und Druck auf den Nationalrat ausüben, damit er sich entschiedener gegen den Gebrauch von Explosivwaffen engagiert. Diese Initiative von HI ist Teil der Kampagne „Stop bombing civilians“. (Foto: HI)

• handicap-international.ch
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Auswirkung des Klimawandels: in Somalia katastrophal

Bericht von Swisso Kalmo zur Lage in Somalia

Swisso Kalmo Auf Grund der chaotischen Lage und der andauernden Gewaltsituation wird die Rückkehr von Flüchtlingen aus der Schweiz nach Somalia vom Staatssekretariat für Migration als unzumutbar erachtet. In unserem Land leben heute 3900 somalische Flüchtlinge. Somalia hat 15 Millionen Einwohner. Davon sind mehr als 1,1 Millionen intern Vertriebene, Menschen, die mehrere Male aus dem Gebiet, in dem sie lebten, geflohen sind. Kämpfe oder das Ausbleiben des Regens während 1-2 Jahren, haben sie gezwungen ihr Dorf oder ihre Stadt zu verlassen. Diese Familien, vor allem aus landwirtschaftlichen Gebieten stammend, leben nun an den Rändern der Städte unter erbärmlichen Verhältnissen. (Foto: Impfungen auf dem Lande durch Swisso Kalmo)

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MMS Manifesto: Salute per tutti nell’arco di una generazione

MMS La rete Medicus Mundi Svizzera pubblica questo manifesto per sostenere l’implementazione del diritto alla salute per tutti nell’arco di una generazione, per creare un sostegno più forte all’Agenda 2030, anche qui in Svizzera, e per rafforzare il consenso e l’impegno da parte di tutte le organizzazioni che collaborano per la salute in tutto il mondo.

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Guide pratique La santé pour tous en zone rurale

Fedevaco Le guide pratique «LA SANTÉ POUR TOUS EN ZONE RURALE. Développer et renforcer les centres de santé» met à l’honneur les bonnes pratiques pour développer un centre de santé communautaire au Sud. Un regard de spécialiste de la santé publique précise les enjeux de la réalisation pérenne de tels projets et une douzaine de fiches de capitalisation illustrent leur mise en œuvre par des associations sur le terrain. Coordonné par le groupe thématique santé de la Fedevaco, cet ouvrage est bâti sur les richesses partagées entre différents praticiens de la coopération au développement. Il se veut un outil incontournable pour la mise en place ou le renforcement de centres de santé en zone rurale des pays à faible revenu. Il se destine aussi bien aux organisations d’appui du Nord qu’à leurs partenaires de terrain du Sud et de l’Est. Scartezzini K, Gueye-Girardet A, Converset E, Laurent C, Lob L et Gehri M, 2018. La santé pour tous en zone rurale. Développer et renforcer les centres de santé: guide pratique. Fedevaco, Lausanne, 182 pages. ISBN: 978-2-8791277-0-3. - Lisez également le résumé dans le magazine de notre MMS bulletin: https://www.medicusmundi.ch/de/bulletin/mms-bulletin/digital-health/magazin/la-sante-pour-tous-en-zone-rurale-developper-et-renforcer-les-centres-de-sante

• www.fedevaco.ch

Digital Health – A Blessing or Curse for Global Health?

MMS Bulletin #148, December 2018

MMS Digitalisation in healthcare (eHealth) is fully underway. The use of smartphones, apps, tablets, telemedicine and even drones (mHealth) is booming, both in the rich North and the global South, and is revolutionising everyday medical practice. Whether in prevention, health promotion or to support treatment processes, digital technologies are being utilised in all areas. Especially for low and middle income countries, huge potential is opening up to quickly sidestep the barriers to development on the way to universal health coverage. At the same time, this digital revolution – which has generated vast amounts of data and information in recent years – contains a multitude of risks and challenges. How should technologies be employed to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems? How can the creation of new monopolies through possession of data be prevented? How can data protection and the security of personal data be safeguarded? New innovations, partnerships and standards are required to ensure, that eHealth, first and foremost, benefits its users – this is something upon which the writers of our latest MMS Bulletin all agree. (Photo: Burkina Faso, © Olivier Girard/ Terre des hommes Foundation)

MMS The Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland is publishing this manifesto to help to achieve the right to health for all within a generation, to ensure compliance with Agenda 2030 here in Switzerland and to strengthen the shared principles of Swiss organisations and institutions active in international health cooperation to support them in their commitment to this goal.

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How sustainable is Switzerland?

Implementing the 2030 Agenda from a civil society perspective

Plattform Agenda 2030 While many stakeholders welcomed the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 as a paradigm shift, a certain sense of disillusionment has already set in. More than two years have passed, but what has been achieved? Following Switzerland’s announcement that it will present a progress report to the UN in July, the civil society organisations that make up the Platform Agenda 2030 have been busy drafting their own parallel report. In doing so, they have not followed the UN guidelines for country-led reports. Instead, they have defined the topics and issues they feel to be most important.

• plattformagenda2030.ch
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Ausschreibung: Mandat für die Evaluation des Netzwerks Medicus Mundi Schweiz

Deadline: 31. März 2018

MMS Das Netzwerk Medicus Mundi schreibt die Durchführung einer externen Evaluation aus. Mit dieser Evaluation wollen Vorstand und Geschäftsstelle des Netzwerk Medicus Mundi Schweiz (MMS) Auskunft über Stärken und Schwächen der Umsetzung, der in der Strategie 2017-2019 und in der Zusammenarbeitsvereinbarung 2016-2019 mit der Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (DEZA) definierten Ziele.

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Medication for the needy

Switzerland is working on new concepts

Intellectual Property Watch The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE) discussed the worldwide access to medicines at a conference with a large number of stakeholders. The topic is complicated, but without increased political and economic will, new innovations and new research approaches, access to medicines can not be guaranteed, especially in developing countries. The participants agreed that high-priced monopolies and outdated concepts must be overcome. (Photo: Images Money / Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

• www.ip-watch.org

Social determinants of health

World Health Organisation (WHO) Health is closely linked to the social, economic and structural conditions in which people live and work. Thus, not only the health sector but also other policitical sectors are responsible for the health of a country's population. These relationships have already been highlighted in the Alma Ata statement in 1976 and later in the Ottawa Charter (1986). The importance of societal influences on health, and thus on a public health policy, is undoubted in today's approaches and got access into the concept of "Health in All Policies" as well as the WHO's approach of "Universal Health Coverage". (Photo: Pan American Health Organization PAHO / flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0) f

• www.who.int

World Inequality Report 2018

Countries become richer, governments impoverish

Piketty-Report The social inequality between top earners and low income has, according to a study, in recent decades in almost all regions of the world increased. This is the conclusion of a research group around the well-known French economist Thomas Piketty. Thus, the income of the richest percent of the world's population has more than doubled. The middle class, however, had hardly benefited. One of the main reasons for the growing economic inequality is the transfer of huge amounts of public assets into private hands. (Photo: citizens4taxjustice / flickr, CC BY 2.0)

• wir2018.wid.world

Health equity

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH "Health equity is of great importance. The National Strategy for the Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases (NCD-Strategy) and the National Strategy on Addiction and Mental Health focus on this topic in 2018. The question then arises: But what is the situation regarding health equity in Switzerland?" (Photo: FOPH)

• www.bag.admin.ch
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Health Cooperation Beyond Aid

Med in Switzerland #9 December 2017

Medicus Mundi International (MMI) Achieving health justice requires radical change. Change in polices that create poor heath, change in the global distribution of power and resources, and change within the health justice movement itself, writes Natalie Sharples by Health Poverty Action. (Photo: Stephen O'Brien, UN-Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs pays a visit to a camp in Saint Saveur, Central African Republic, in August 2016. © Nektarios Markogiannis/MINUSCA. IRIN Photo)

Leaving no one behind - Reflections on the UN-Agenda 2030

MMS Bulletin #144 December 2017

MMS With the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in 2015, for the first time all UN member states - including Switzerland - committed themselves to setting the course for a comprehensive global social contract in order to counteract poverty, increasing inequality and the escalating destruction of the planet. The primary objective is for national and international policies to focus more on the global common good and, above all, to reach neglected people (“Leaving no one behind”). Which concrete measures to implement these goals have been taken by Switzerland two years after the adoption of the Agenda 2030? Who are the players and what is at stake? (Photo: © CBM/Trenchard)

Health Cooperation Beyond Aid - Pathways for Change

MMI essay contest 2017

Medicus Mundi International (MMI) In summer the working group on Effective Health Cooperation of the Medicus Mundi International Network (MMI EHC) launched an essay contest referring to their discussion paper on “Health Cooperation: Its relevance, legitimacy and effectiveness as a contribution to achieving universal access to health”. All representatives of organizations engaged in international health cooperation have been invited to submit their answer on how to actually change health cooperation beyond aid. In the meantime the winner - the author of the most convincing/inspiring answer selected by the jury - has been selected and MMI is happy to herewith present the winner: Natalie Sharples, Head of Policy & Campaigns at the MMI Network member Health Poverty Action. We invite you to read Natalie Sharples' rather tough message as part of our collection of essays which is now available online.

• www.medicusmundi.org
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Medical tourism - poorer countries have the damage

Switzerland lures rich, powerful foreigners into their hospitals - is that morally justifiable?

Sonntagsblick What proves catastrophic for low and middle income countries is a lucrative business for Switzerland. The hospitals are seizing themselves up for rich foreign patients, who cannot be adequately cared for in their home countries due to poor health systems. Negative consequences: The urgently needed money is lacking in the countries of origin to improve their own health care. And even if the own (Nigerian) president does not trust his health care system, how should the own population build up the necessary trust? Martin Leschhorn, Director of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland asks about Switzerland's ethical responsibility and criticizes the careless handling of Swiss hospitals and authorities with the topic.

• www.infonlinemed.ch
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Der Erfolg ist bedroht

Christian Lengeler im Interview

Luzerner Zeitung Obwohl immer noch zu viele Menschen an Malaria sterben, sind im Kampf gegen die Inektionserkrankung grosse Erfolge erzielt worden - vor allem auch Dank einer gelungenen Kooperation zwischen Industrie und öffentlicher Hand, wie der Präsident der Swiss Malaria Group, Christian Lengeler, im Interview mit der Luzerner Zeitung betont. Durch Milliardenfinanzierung aus privater Hand wurde die Forschung vorangetrieben und Medikamente zum Selbstkostenpreis in Entwicklungsländern abgegeben. Doch nun droht Gefahr, denn die Erreger werden zunehmend resistent gegen die wichtigsten Malariamedikamente und durch Kosteneinsparungen bei der humanitären Hilfe wird die Erforschung neuer Medikamente gefährdet. (Foto: Christian Lengeler / Swiss Malaria Group)

• www.luzernerzeitung.ch

Think differently and stay engaged: Health Programming in Fragile Contexts

Issue Paper on Health Series, No. 6

SRC This study is the result of a two-year SRC learning process run by the SRC on the challenges and effective approaches to health work in fragile contexts. The focus is on the interaction between health programmes and their context: How does a fragile context influence healthcare work? Can a health programme help reduce that fragility? The conclusions are based on the results of two case studies in South Sudan and Haiti, together with discussions at the Health in Fragile Contexts conference organized by the SRC, SDC and Medicus Mundi Schweiz health network in August 2016. (Photo: Remo Nägeli © SRC)

• www.redcross.ch

Centrale sanitaire suisse romande (CSSR)

Welcome as a new member of the network MMS

Centrale sanitaire suisse romande (CSSR) Since its founding 80 years ago, the "Centrale Sanitaire Suisse Romande (CSSR)" based in Geneva, has been engaging for a better health care in the southern countries, especially in Latin America and Palestine. CSSR has emerged from a group of doctors and nurses who provided medical assistance during the Spanish Civil War. Later, the organization also looked after civilian victims of various conflicts and humanitarian crisis. Three main areas of activity are at the center of the organization: improvement of maternal and child health, community rehabilitation and humanization of health care.

• css-romande.ch

Researchers for Global Health (R4GH)

Researchers for Global Health (R4GH) The association "Researchers for Global Health (R4GH)" is a new member organisation of the network MMS and is a joint initiative of researchers of the University of Zurich and the Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDI) of the Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Joint research, education and clinical care activities are focusing on global health challenges. They want to work together as equal partners and benefit from the mutual experiences. There are currently two active research projects, both at the IDI in Kampala, investigating the effects of HIV and TB drugs, and focusing on further questions about these two diseases. It is planned to include non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as well as "one-health" pathologies and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in their field of research.

• www.researchersforglobalhealth.org

Le travail dans des contextes fragiles doit inclure les communautés locales

Les Nouvelles du Réseau Medicus Mundi Suisse

MMS Améliorer la situation sanitaire là où l'État ne peut garantir le droit à la santé et où tout investissement dans la santé est réduit en poussière en raison d'affrontements violents ou de démêlés politiques. Tels sont les défis particuliers de la coopération pour la santé. - Cette année, le Réseau Medicus Mundi Suisse se consacre en priorité à la coopération pour la santé dans des contextes fragiles. Tentative de bilan intermédiaire avant le grand symposium de MMS en 2 novembre 2016. (Photo: © Italienisches Rotes Kreuz, Yara Nardi)

Access to medicines in developing countries

Report of the High-Level Panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

United Nations (UN) The long-awaited report of the UN high-level panel on access to medicines in developing countries is seen as a landmark report in the debate and gives a number of recommendations. The report focus on the use of human rights as the basis of policies and on access to medicines and the failure of the current research system, which does not make a sufficient contribution to the development of worldwide urgently needed drugs. While the civil society welcomed the result of the report, massive criticism comes from the pharmaceutical industry, which complains that the report does not address the real barriers to comprehensive health care. (Photo: United Nations)

• static1.squarespace.com

Access to health in fragile contexts

Presentations of the Swiss Red Cross and Cordaid

MMS It is a difficult task to implement health programmes in environments where the health systems are already weak and threatened by a wide range of political and social conflicts. Working in such fragile contexts demands a sensitive approach for not worsening the situation. But international health cooperation can also play an important role in conflict transformation. At a side event to the World Health Assembly, which was co-organised by the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland, the dutch organisation Cordaid and the Swiss Red Cross presented their experiences.

Bern Malaria Declaration

Reaffirming Switzerland’s leadership role to end malaria

Swiss Malaria Group Bern - 25 April 2016 In order to commemorate World Malaria Day, the Swiss Malaria Group signed together with president of the Swiss national council Christa Markwalder, president of the state council Raphaël Comte and Parliamentarians Isabelle Chevalley (Green Liberal Party), Marina Carrobbio (Social Democratic Party), Yvonne Feri (Social Democratic Party) and Rosemarie Quadranti (Civic Democratic Party), the Bern Malaria Declaration, in which they join forces to advocate for a new era of comprehensive action against malaria under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• www.swissmalariagroup.ch
• Download (pdf | 159 kB)

The Swiss Health Foreign Policy

International cooperation in health issues is demanded

spectra Global health is increasingly becoming an issue of international relations. Diseases do not stop at national borders. Increased need for coordination and greater coherence in the commitment to international health are calling for greater cooperation between the states. Switzerland has already adopted in 2005 with the HFP (Swiss Health Foreign Policy) an instrument to address these complex challenges adequately. Switzerland has taken a pioneering role within the international community. The HFP focuses on cross-border exchange of experience and the dissemination of best-practice models. (Photo: Health screening in Guinea / Flickr)

• www.spectra-online.ch

Health and global change in an interconnected world

Concerns and responsibilities for Switzerland

Swiss Academies of Sciences (SCNAT) Current anthropogenic pressures on the biosphere are historically unprecedented. These complex and far-reaching changes are disrupting many of the Earth’s systems, cycles and feedback mechanisms, leading to adverse impacts and threatening the foundations of human health and well-being. This factsheet of the Swiss Academies highlights the principal drivers of global change, placing particular emphasis on associated health impacts.

• www.naturalsciences.ch

Health in 2015: from MDGs to SDGs

WHO "WHO launched a new comprehensive analysis of global health trends since 2000 and an assessment of the challenges for the next 15 years. "Health in 2015: from MDGs to SDGs" identifies the key drivers of progress in health under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It lays out actions that countries and the international community should prioritize to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which come into effect on 1 January 2016."

Health in the sustainable development goals: ready for a paradigm shift?

Globalization and Health "In contrast to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals with the proposed health agenda aspires to be universally applicable to all countries and are appropriately broad in encompassing both communicable and non-communicable diseases as well as emerging burdens from, among other things, road traffic accidents and pollution. We argue that success in realizing the agenda requires a paradigm shift in the way we address global health. (...) We are concerned that neither the international community nor the global health community truly appreciates the extent of the shift required to implement this health agenda which is a critical determinant of sustainable development." (Photo: Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-being © flickr)

• www.globalizationandhealth.com

UN set to change the world with new development goals

UN General Assembly

The Lancet The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been prepared over the last three years. These goals are set to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Are the SDGs able to overcome the unfinished business of the MDGs? UN has developed these very ambitious 17 goals in order to "free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and [will] heal and secure our planet for present and future generations”. Many observers are satisfied especially that with SDG 3 health has been given a central role. Nevertheless there are also voices of concern. (Photo: David Cameron speaks at UNGA 2015 © flickr)

• www.thelancet.com

Tracking Universal Health Coverage: First global monitoring report

World Health Organisation (WHO) June 2015 - “A WHO and World Bank Group report launched today shows that 400 million people do not have access to essential health services and 6% of people in low- and middle-income countries are tipped into or pushed further into extreme poverty because of health spending. "This report is a wakeup call: It shows that we’re a long way from achieving universal health coverage. We must expand access to health and protect the poorest from health expenses that are causing them severe financial hardship," says Tim Evans. (International health policy)

Swiss Health NGOs for Implementation Research

Basel, 9 September 2015

MMS There is a strong call within the international health cooperation to transform evidence based research into policy and action. Implementation research is often driven by the scientific community. In this side event, the organisers want to turn this argument upside down: NGO want to strengthen applied research in their projects and programmes. They argue that embedding implementation research in their programmes will create applied knowledge and evidence for the scaling up successful NGO interventions. -- A Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland Side Event in cooperation with FAIRMED, SolidarMed and Swiss Red Cross.

Videos to train health workers worldwide

A range of videos has been created to train health workers and to serve communities around the world. The video series cover critical topics in global health such as newborn health, childbirth, breastfeeding, Cholera etc.

• globalhealthmedia.org

Experts demand for a new funding model for the development of drugs and vaccines for diseases of poverty

A Global Biomedical R&D Fund and Mechanism for Innovations of Public Health Importance

The Ebola crisis in West Africa showed the inability of the Western world to respond rapidly to epidemics and health crises. In the journal PLoS Medicine renowned health experts including Prof. Marcel Tanner from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) plead for a new global funding model to accelerate the development of new drugs against poverty diseases (Photo: Jean-Pierre Zellweger).

• www.plosmedicine.org

Rationale for WHO's New Position Calling for Prompt Reporting and Public Disclosure of Interventional Clinical Trial Results

WHO calls for increased transparency in medical research

PLOS Medicine PLOS Medicine writes: "On April 14, 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a new statement on the public disclosure of clinical trial results (S1 Text). The WHO statement not only re-affirms the ethical imperative of clinical trial results reporting, it also defines reporting timeframes, calls for results-reporting of older but still unpublished trials, and outlines steps to improve linkages between clinical trial registry entries and their published results. This updates and expands WHO’s 2005 statement that “the registration of all interventional trials is a scientific, ethical, and moral responsibility.” (Photo: DNA lab, University of Michigan/flickr)

• journals.plos.org

WHO must remain a strong global health leader post Ebola

Open Letter

The Lancet In an open letter to the journal The Lancet almost 100 members of the global health scholary community call upon all WHO Member States to recommit themselves to strengthening global outbreak alert and response by sustainably investing in the WHO, its departments, and personnel.

Position Paper on Universal Health Coverage

Swiss Red Cross and SolidarMed's joint position paper

SolidarMed, SRC With the Millennium Development goals coming to an end by 2015, a debate is going on about what could be a coherent global framework for the upcoming decade. As it stands now, the new framework will be called “sustainable development goals” and build on the triple bottom line: Social inclusion, economic development and ecologic sustainability. Concerning health, various concepts have been discussed: Wellbeing; reduction of avoidable mortality/morbidity, universal health coverage (UHC) and others. Amongst these, UHC has emerged as the most promising. To discuss and clarify the terminology and meaning of UHC, the Swiss Red Cross and SolidarMed have held a joint workshop in 2013. Out of this workshop, we have now developed a joint, short paper, which is now available.

• Download (pdf | 627 kB)

Background paper on the Ecopop Initiative

Dangerous for Swiss development cooperation

MMS Swiss citizens will vote about the so called ECOPOP-Initiative on 30th November 2014. It has two postulations: On the one hand the initiative intends to annually limit the migration in Switzerland to an average of 0.2%, and on the other hand it demands that 10% of the Swiss development cooperation budget will be earmarked for voluntary family planning. This background paper wants to inform you on that initiative as the second postulation of it touches our symposium’s theme. The board of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland as well as many member organisations clearly reject this initiative.

• Download (pdf | 110 kB)
• Local Health as Global Health

Chris Simms on Canada’s First Nations in the MMS Bulletin

MMS Canadians have long been proud of their healthcare system yet current research suggests a worrisome decline in some outcome indicators and rising levels of inequalities over the last few years. One factor explaining a disproportionate share of these outcomes is failure to reach marginalized populations such as Indigenous peoples. In 2012 most Aboriginal-led health programming was cut, leaving health policy development for Canada's 1.2 million Aboriginal people in the hands of the federal government. First Nations have started a grassroots social movement in 2012 known as Idle No More fighting for indigenous rights.

Analysing Proposals for Reform of the Global Health Architecture

Who to make the global health system fit

Chatham House "The global health architecture has contributed significantly to progress towards the Millennium Development Goals over the past decade. As the target date approaches for adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals, this paper suggests that reconfiguration of the architecture is necessary if it is to be fit to address the challenges of the post-2015 period."

• www.chathamhouse.org

Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Finalised SDG text for adoption

UN In September 2015 the UN General Assembly will adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, which should be reached until 2030. The Goal 3 is dedicated to health for all: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." We document the paper as it should be adoptet by the UN-GA in September 2015. (pdf)

• selectra.co.uk

Balancieren auf dem hohen Seil der globalen Gesundheit

Die Schweizer Gesundheitsaussenpolitik

MMS A critical review on the so called Swiss Foreign Health Policy in German.

Gesundheit in der Aussen- und Entwicklungspolitik der Schweiz

Das Gesundheitspositionspapier des Netzwerks Medicus Mundi Schweiz

MMS The Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland has published a position paper on health within the Swiss Foreign and Health Policy. It is published in German and French.

• Download (pdf | 600 kB)

Deutschschweiz Medicus Mundi Schweiz Murbacherstrasse 34 CH-4056 Basel Tel. +41 61 383 18 10 info@medicusmundi.ch

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• PhD Global Health

The structured PhD program Global Health at the Charité is a collaboration between seven partnering institutions. It aims to train excellent scientists for leadership positions in global health. The program imparts an interdisciplinary  perspective on health and a sensitivity to inter-cultural factors affecting health.

Applications are accepted from June 20 to August 20, 2024 for admission in October 2024.

The next application window will be January 15 to March 1, 2025  for admission in October 2025.

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Key Facts - PhD Global Health

Seven collaborating partners in Berlin

• Enrollment at the Charité
• Language of instruction is English
• University degree conferred: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Standard period of study 3 years / 6 semesters

• 30 ECTS course work
• 150 ECTS scientific research work (dissertation)

Admission of 15 doctoral candidates per year

• Eligibility requirements are a master’s degree or equivalent
• Application period 2024 TBA
• First PhD Cohort starting October 2024

The structured PhD Global Health is tuition free

If you have any questions please check our FAQs oder send an Email to  phd-globalhealth(at)charite.de

Cooperating Partners - PhD Global Health

The structured PhD Global Health is a joint doctoral program hosted at the Charité. It brings together the outstanding expertise in Global Health of the following seven cooperating partners (in alphabetical order):

• Charité -  Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Freie Universität Berlin (FU)
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU)
• Robert Koch-Institut (RKI)
• Technische Universität Berlin (TU)
• Universität Potsdam
• Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB)

PhD candidates are enrolled at the Charité. The degree awarded upon completion of the three year program is PhD in Global Health. The program requires participants to complete 30 ECTS of coursework divided over the 6 semesters and work on a research project (equivalent to 150 ECTS / 5 Semesters) that will result in publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals (doctorate by publication). The program concludes with an oral defense.

The thematic focus of the doctoral program is based on the health-relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The topics we wish to address include communicable and non-communicable diseases, the prevention and control of disease outbreaks, global health security, migration and health, universal health coverage, the role of climate and the environment as determinants of health, One Health, governance and health policy, health economics, community engagement as well as digitalization in healthcare. The doctoral program approaches research topics from an interdisciplinary perspective and incorporates a variety of methodological and conceptual approaches. Through the close exchange between teachers, supervisors and doctoral students, we support the critical examination of institutional and political constellations in the field of global health.

Modes of Study

The PhD Global Health seeks to develop expertise around the globe. We hope to provide prospective students with modes of participation that match their needs and their lifestyles, regardless of where they are from. You can chose to relocate to Berlin for the program or you can stay in your home country and travel to Berlin to participate in coursework and for temporary research stays.

Berlin-based track

• The Berlin-based PhD allows you to live in Berlin and expects you to travel for field research, research exchanges or conferences. This path is often more convenient for EU candidates.

Sandwich track

The intent of the sandwich track is for PhD students to conduct their research as well as to continue their work and career development in their home country, while receiving input and exchange opportunities in Berlin. Sandwich track PhD students join a cohort of young researchers in Berlin, but also maintain a strong research network and the career support of a sending institution in their home country, where their PhD research is embedded. Sandwich track PhD students expand the Berlin PhD Global Health program’s research networks and collaborative reach. The sandwich track allows PhD students to limit the time spent in Berlin to research stays of 3 months or less per year. This often makes it easier to meet visa requirements and limits costs.

• Sandwich track PhD students start the doctoral program by spending 3 months from October to December in Berlin, while completing the required Core Course in Global Health. They subsequently return to their home country to continue their work and pursue their research project in their home country. Sandwich track PhD students participate in the required course Doctoral Student Seminar remotely, together will all the other PhD students.  
• Sandwich track PhD students come back to Berlin for a second research stay the following year, again for 3 months from October to December, while completing the required course Mentored Teaching in Global Health.
• Sandwich track PhD students can complete their elective courses either in their home country, or during their research stays in Germany, or in any other country of their choice.
• Sandwich track PhD students are supervised by an interdisciplinary supervisory team that includes researchers from Berlin and their home institution. Though the first supervisor must come from the Berlin Coorperating Partners, we aim to provide sandwich track PhD students with a shared and collaborative supervision.
• The oral defence of the PhD can take place either online or in-person.

What is Global Health?

Global Health is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field dedicated to addressing health challenges on a global scale. Focused on promoting well-being, preventing diseases, and improving healthcare access for all , it transcends national borders to tackle complex health issues that affect diverse populations worldwide. Global Health professionals work collaboratively to understand and address the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, striving to create equitable and sustainable solutions.

From infectious diseases to non-communicable illnesses, Global Health emphasizes the importance of international cooperation, research, and policy development to build resilient healthcare systems and foster a healthier future for communities across the globe.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guide the major themes of  PhD Global Health program. Program participants are encouraged to approach their research from conceptually and methodologically innovative perspectives. The topics to be addressed include communicable and non-communicable diseases, pandemic intelligence, monitoring, surveillance and prevention, migration and health, universal health coverage, the role of climate and environment as determinants of health, One Health, governance and health policy, as well as digitalization and health. The PhD Global Health aims to approach research from an interdisciplinary perspective, incorporating a variety of methodological and conceptual approaches. Close exchanges between faculty, supervisors and doctoral candidates encourage critical thinking and innovation in Global Health.

A PhD in Global Health opens the door to a myriad of impactful and diverse career prospects at the intersection of healthcare, research, and policy. Graduates are well-equipped to take on leadership roles in international organizations, governmental agencies, non-profit institutions, and academic settings. As researchers, they contribute to advancing our understanding of global health challenges, developing innovative interventions, and shaping evidence-based policies. Professionals with a PhD in Global Health may also engage in fieldwork, implementing health programs and strategies in diverse communities around the world. Additionally, opportunities exist in academia, where individuals can contribute to the education and mentorship of the next generation of global health leaders. With a unique skill set that combines research, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding , those with a PhD in Global Health are poised to make a meaningful impact on global healthcare disparities and contribute to the development of sustainable and equitable health systems worldwide.

Further information

13 public-health-phd positions in Switzerland

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PhD Position in Analytical Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics

The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is a world -leading institute in global health with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. Associated with the University

Faculty Position in Infection Biology & Immunology

The School of Life Sciences at EPFL and its Global Health Institute invite applications for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor position in Infection Biology & Immunology. We are seeking candidates

Doctoral Student: Sensing and Controlling the Large-Scale Anaerobic Digestion of Human Excreta to Minimize Health Risks and Carbon Emissions

100%, Zurich, fixed-term Join the Global Health Engineering group at ETH Zürich The Global Health Engineering (GHE) group, part of the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich

ETH Personalized Health Data Service Owner

and personalized health research community – one of ETH’s strategic scientific areas - with “big data” and computing services. In particular, SIS is operating Leonhard Med: a scientific Trusted Research

Scientific coordinator for the clinical application of rehabilitation technologies

100%, Zurich, permanent The Rehabilitation Engineering Lab (RELab) at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology at ETH Zurich is an interdisciplinary group with competencies in mechanical and

Postdoc Researcher (2 Years) - T150-01201 BE-FIT SEC

of publications and abstracts of presentations at conferences Certificates (e.g. PhD and Master’s degree) Transcripts of records Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online

Postdoctoral Researcher for Data Science in Spinal Cord Injury

possible contribution for this may be the assumption that SCI can be targeted without accounting for substantial variability in individual biological, clinical, health , and injury-related characteristics. A

Postdoc position in linguistic anthropology — Aboriginal Australian languages/cultures

August 15, 2024 with the following documents: CV with list of publications . A one-page summary of the candidate’s PhD dissertation (up to 3,500 characters). A two-page presentation of ideas of how

Postdoc position in linguistic anthropology — Amazonian languages/cultures

forward to receiving your online application by August 15, 2024 with the following documents: CV with list of publications . A one-page summary of the candidate’s PhD dissertation (up to 3,500 characters). A

Postdoctoral Positions in Climate Modeling and Data Science

climate models can provide storylines and quantitative estimates of potential future extreme climate events that threaten human health , agricultural yield or the reliability of energy systems, by re

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Editorial board

Editorial Team

Chief Editor  

Gerrit John-Schuster, PhD, MS, Springer Nature, New York, USA

Associate Editor Ben Cranfield, PhD, MSc, Springer Nature, London, United Kingdom

Gen Li, PhD, Springer Nature, Shanghai, China

Our Editorial Board Members work closely with our in-house editors to ensure that all manuscripts are subject to the same editorial standards and journal policies. Editorial Board Members are active researchers recognized as experts in their field. Our Editorial Board Members handle manuscripts within their areas of expertise, overseeing all aspects of the peer review process from submission to acceptance. 

Michael Glick is Professor and Executive Director, Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Glick has an extensive publication record, including original research articles, editorials, and book chapters, and has authored, edited and co-edited 10 textbooks. Dr. Glick is past Dean, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, past-President of the American Board of Oral Medicine and served as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of the American Dental Association from 2005 to 2020. Webpage .

orcid.org/0000-0001-9256-1208 Research interests: Children and young people, wellbeing, migration, qualitative, social determinants of health, health inequalities, health promotion My research interests focus on children and young people’s experiences of health and wellbeing, the social determinants of health and health access in both national and international contexts. I have a particular focus on migrant children’s health and the use of technologies to improve children’s health experiences. I have developed research collaborations with colleagues in the UK, Ghana, Fiji and Nepal. I am the European regional lead for the African Child & Youth Migration Network. Methodologically I am a qualitative researcher with expertise in ethnography, participatory approaches and realist evaluation. Webpage .

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PROGRAM IN GLOBAL HEALTH STUDIES

• Academic Programs

PhD Certificate

The certificate program in Global Health is a 5-course curriculum that provides new training, research, and career opportunities for doctoral students in the social sciences, humanities, and biomedical/health sciences.   Northwestern University is recognized as a leader in Global Health, fostering inter-disciplinary training and research in this domain for over 20 years.  Global Health training at Northwestern is distinctive, spanning across colleges and disciplines rather than being contained within a Medical School or School of Public Health, as is the case at most universities. 

The goal of the certificate program is to provide students with the tools necessary to articulate their research and scholarly work to the emerging inter-disciplinary domain of Global Health, working collaboratively to address long-standing problems of health disparities and inequalities. 

Students in the certificate program are required to take a total of five (5) courses, three (3) core requirements for all students (Public Health 390, Global Health 302, and a Methods Course) and two (2) elective courses on advanced topics (see Table below).  The curriculum provides a grounding in global health concepts, bioethics, and qualitative and/or quantitative methods. Additionally, the diverse set of methods and elective course options ensures that this certificate program is accessible to students from a wide range of PhD disciplines.

Programs and Events

In addition to the formal coursework, students are encouraged to attend and participate in the Global Health Seminar Series. Students in the certificate program will also have opportunities to serve as Teaching Assistants for undergraduate classes in Global Health Studies (GHS).  Those students in the certificate program who have been Teaching Assistants in GHS courses will be eligible to teach their own evening or summer classes in GHS through the School of Professional Studies (SPS).

Who Should Apply?

Doctoral candidates from any field are eligible to apply to join this intellectual “home” outside their department.

How to Apply

Enrolled PhD students in The Graduate School may pursue this certificate with the permission of their program. In order to petition to have a Graduate Certificate awarded and appear on the transcript, students must submit the  Application for a Graduate Certificate   once all Graduate Certificate requirements have been completed, but no later than the time that the student files for graduation (in the final quarter of study). 

Who to Contact

Please contact Professor Bill Leonard who is listed below, with questions about this program:

William R. Leonard,

Watkins Family Professor in Global Health

[email protected]

847-491-4839

Certificate requirements

The required five-course curriculum for the Certificate in Global Health is outlined below:

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Thirty-Five Years of HIV Research in Africa—An Interview With Winners of the 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award

• 1 Deputy Editor, JAMA
• Viewpoint AIDS in Africa: 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD; Salim S. Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD JAMA

Albert and Mary Lasker created the Lasker Awards in 1945 “to shine a spotlight on fundamental biological discoveries and clinical advances that improve human health, and to draw attention to the importance of public support of science.” This year, on September 19, another power couple, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD, and Salim S. Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD, were awarded the 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award for their decades of work on AIDS in Africa—from first recognizing the unique dynamics of HIV transmission in South Africa to providing evidence for antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to building local research capabilities that have proven crucial in the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics.

Salim S. Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD, and Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD

The infectious diseases epidemiologists from the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, or CAPRISA, in Durban and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York recently reflected on their life’s work in a conversation with JAMA Deputy Editor and infectious diseases physician Preeti Malani, MD, MSJ.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Dr Malani: Let’s go back to 1990. The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the US was predominantly men who have sex with men with a few other groups. This contrasted with what was unfolding in South Africa. You performed a large community-based serologic survey in South Africa, which highlighted important differences in the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, demonstrating that women were at high risk of infection, especially young women. Tell us about that work and how the results ultimately informed efforts in South Africa and beyond.

Dr Quarraisha Abdool Karim: This takes us back to 1988, when both Salim and I were students at Columbia University doing our master’s in public health. Almost every other class that we had focused on HIV. We were seeing guests coming in from East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa. And as we explored New York City that year, we came face-to-face with AIDS. And on our return [to Africa] in 1989, the thing that was uppermost in our minds was, “Why don’t we know what’s going on in Southern Africa?” And so that’s when we undertook this first population-based survey that was linked to the malaria control program. Our intent was really to quantify and understand HIV in South Africa. The first thing we learned was we were at a very early stage of the epidemic. The prevalence was less than 1%. I think if you had asked us in 1990, would we have known that the prevalence among pregnant women could reach 40% in some parts of South Africa, [the answer] was just no, we didn’t think that. The second thing was when we did the age and sex disaggregated analysis, we saw something very unique, which was that young women were acquiring HIV about 10 years before the men were. In the context of an overall prevalence of less than 1%, we were seeing 6% HIV infection in young women aged 15 to 24 years compared to about 2% or less in their male peers. So epidemiologically, what we’re looking at is that these young girls are not getting infected by young men. They’re getting infected from men who are older. When those data were published, there was a lot of skepticism in the scientific community about the validity of that data. Other studies confirmed this observation of the age-sex disparate relationships. But it wasn’t until around 2014 when some of the new technology became available and we were able to repeat these population-based surveys, this time identifying recently infected individuals and establishing the cycle of transmission, which is what was used in the 2016 UNAIDS report . And then the South African National Strategic Plan was also guided by this data that came out describing unequivocally how young women were getting infected from older men and the cycle of transmission. Men were having partners simultaneously with 15- to 24-year-old women and over-25-year-old women, which was sustaining this epidemic in Southern Africa and Eastern Africa. So that’s the first part around understanding transmission dynamics. And then the other part is the most intriguing thing. Why are young women getting infected so early and what’s underpinning all of this? So we undertook a whole range of social epidemiological studies with women from different settings. And the common message we are getting back from women, whether they were young, whether they were old, whether they were mothers of teenagers or sex workers, urban, rural or periurban, was that they knew about HIV, but they also had very little agency in terms of what was available at that time—abstinence, behavior change, male condoms—to actually control and prevent themselves from acquiring HIV in these age-sex disparate relationships.

Dr Malani: As you write in your Viewpoint article [published in this issue of JAMA ], most women were unable to convince male partners to use condoms, remain faithful, or have HIV tests, creating an urgent need for a safe and effective way to prevent HIV transmission that could be controlled by women. That evolution began with the early work that the two of you led. Some of it ended up disappointing, like nonoxynol-9. Some of it was moderately effective, like the tenofovir gel. And of course, numerous trials since that time have established the effectiveness of oral therapy for preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. And most recently, the newly available long-acting injectables, like lenacapavir. Tell us about the importance of prevention methods that empower women.

Dr Salim Abdool Karim: So in 1990 when we demonstrated that young women were at particularly high risk and that they were largely at risk of HIV from older men, we understood that there was a real challenge to break the cycle of transmission and that we needed to provide some kind of technology that would empower women to protect themselves. That was our goal: How can we slow down the spread of HIV in young women in Africa? And so we plunged ahead. The first and most available product at the time was a spermicide, nonoxynol-9. So we worked with a company in the US; we sent them nonoxynol-9 to make into a film. We tested it and it didn’t work. It didn’t really produce the results we wanted to see, and so we ditched that. And along came the WHO [World Health Organization] and they were doing a bigger study of nonoxynol-9 in a gel form. We joined that study and, unfortunately, that study produced negative results. So we went on to new classes of products. Over 18 years of research from 1993 to 2010, there were multiple products and several clinical trials, not one showing any positive results. We acquired the nickname that we were experts in failure because that’s all we did. Every meeting when people saw us, they knew we were going to present yet another [negative] result. And all our colleagues in the field, and there were many, were similarly presenting negative results. So you can imagine the elation that we had when we produced finally some positive results, not even great positive results, but just positive results. The whole idea came to us because we were doing a study on TB [tuberculosis] and HIV treatment, and we were looking for a drug that would be well tolerated with TB drugs. And here comes a drug called tenofovir. It was new drug, really not widely available. We managed to get some from colleagues in Uganda. We were amazed at how good this drug was. We got very quick viral suppression, with excellent safety profile. To us, it looked like just the drug to put into a prevention. And so we went to what was at that stage a small biotech company called Gilead Sciences. We partnered with them. We made this gel. And we did the study. And basically, we provided the first evidence that showed that an antiretroviral could prevent sexual transmission. And we then showed that if you had high adherence, you could get very good protection. That became the basis of what today is known as PrEP. But there were several really important studies that were done of oral tenofovir, not the gel formulation, that showed actually you get better protection. And so that led to the WHO recommendation in 2015 where tenofovir-based preexposure prophylaxis became a recommended component of prevention. And why was it particularly important? Because women could use it without the men knowing about it or having to approve its use. It gave agency. It gave them the power to control their own risk of HIV. But shortly after we saw all of this, we realized that there were shortcomings. And the biggest shortcoming was that women, particularly young women, had great difficulty initiating PrEP and staying on it. Just think about it: a young woman’s got so many other things in her life, she’s not thinking about HIV. You have to take a tablet every day to prevent a disease you don’t even have. So we switched our focus to long-acting formulations, and we partnered again with Gilead Sciences, which developed a new drug called lenacapavir. We were one of the groups that worked with them on demonstrating the amazing efficacy of a 6-month injectable. But even that’s not going to be enough. We’re going to have to do better. We’re going to have to get to a position where we do something just once a year or even longer. What we are seeing is the start of a whole new way in which we could have efficacious prevention that could really empower women to protect themselves without having to think about HIV all the time.

Dr Quarraisha Abdool Karim: From about 2010 to 2024, the progress that we’ve made in terms of expanding the PrEP option and the lenacapavir results are just outstanding. I mean, nothing we would’ve even imagined a vaccine would be able to do. Now to have complete coverage felt such a great moment for women to celebrate across the world.

Dr Malani: Another one of your clinical trials informed the timing of initiating antiretroviral drugs during therapy for tuberculosis, which is a major question throughout the world. Tell us those practice-changing results.

Dr Quarraisha Abdool Karim: The early epidemic was a very silent epidemic in South Africa. We started to see disease progression in the mid-’90s and then really taking off around 2000 when the 13th International Conference was held in Durban, Africa, for the first time. We were seeing about 12 funerals a week. And what was striking was that some of our colleagues working in the TB clinics in Durban noted a shift in who was getting TB. And that shift from men over 40 to young women really was mirroring and advancing the HIV disease epidemic. The shift in the HIV infections we were seeing in the early ’90s was now being seen in the TB clinic. And what we established over time by studying this was that about 70% of our patients with TB were there because of advancing HIV disease. At this point, we had no ARVs [antiretrovirals] [in Africa]. And it became a question around 2000 about when. And we knew there would need to be rationing because just in South Africa alone we have about 7 million people with HIV. If we said, “Here’s ARVs,” we couldn’t put 7 million people on treatment right away. The key question was, who would benefit most? And these were patients coinfected with HIV and TB. We asked many people, “When would you do this? Do you treat the TB first? Do you treat the AIDS first?” Because there’s a double drug burden, et cetera. We addressed this with the trial that demonstrated the importance of treating TB first and then AIDS. And that data has been critical, as you noted, for informing how we treat patients coinfected with HIV and TB and has saved tens of thousands of lives in terms of being able to do this effectively and efficiently.

Dr Malani: Why is investment in research programs like the one you have led all these years important for global health and public health, more broadly?

Dr Salim Abdool Karim: We have seen over the years the value of human capital, of having people who are well-trained, but who are deeply committed to working in Africa because we have to deal with the brain drain all the time. So to try and create a situation where we can keep our talent is really important. Creating centers of excellence, creating research environments where we have the lab equipment, we are able to get the reagents. We have the statisticians. We are able to do all the important things that people want to leave the country to go do elsewhere. That becomes an opportunity for people to stay and still continue to do great research and make an impact. And in doing that, over the years, between Quarraisha and me, we have created 5 research institutes in South Africa, all of which still continue to this day, and CAPRISA being the one we are most fond of because that’s the one we still run. But it’s not just that we created these research institutions that have stood the test of time and that we ensure that they continue to grow and survive and make a contribution. It’s also that through the Fogarty International Training Program, which we had for 22 years, we trained just over 600 South Africans, actually not just from South Africa, but also from some of the neighboring countries, in TB and HIV research. Most of the AIDS studies that are being done in South Africa right now are being done by trainees from that program because we’ve created a critical mass of scientists to be able to do that. So along comes COVID-19 in 2020, and who are the people who really know about viral infections? Who are the people who have the lab equipment? Who are the people who know the epidemiology? Well, it’s the people who dealt with HIV. And so they stepped up to the plate. If you just take our own situation, in March of 2020, we had already put a partition down in our lab. We had converted all our PCR [polymerase chain reaction] machines to doing testing for COVID-19. We were the second lab in South Africa to have COVID testing up and running ready to go. And why? Because we already had all of those facilities. We had worked with the team from an organization called KRISP . They are one floor below us led by Professor Tulio de Oliveira. And he had built up a huge capacity to do high-throughput sequencing of viruses. And why? Because we have a huge treatment program, and we need to know what the drug resistance profiles are. So we built this capacity to do sequencing of viruses. And so when COVID comes, all that capacity just pivoted to deal with COVID-19. How else could we have been the first country in the world to describe a variant when we describe the Beta variant? How else would we have the capacity to discover Omicron? We were able to do that because it was an existing capacity built over many years to be able to do this. Today, right now, we’ve got teams of people working on mpox. And why? Because these are the individuals who’ve been trained, and they have stayed in Africa, and they are here in Africa to help us deal with mpox. We know that mpox is potentially a threat to the rest of the world if we can’t control it right here in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] in Africa. And so that falls on us, the individuals who have that capacity, have that experience to make that contribution.

Dr Quarraisha Abdool Karim: This building of human capital has been so key to shift the ability of us to innovate and to respond and the way we collaborate and partner. And that, to me, is a very important legacy that we hand down when we do investments in training and capacity development. We have nearly 2000 medical, master’s, and doctoral students that have gone through our CAPRISA programs, and clinics, and training, and staying on to actually be the investment in the future. With any new [health] threats, they actually have the possibility to lead innovation and not just address local challenges that are neglected. It’s a whole new cadre of young people coming along. We have hope that they can be architects of their own destiny.

Published Online: September 19, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.19030

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Q. Abdool Karim reported receiving grants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), European and Developing Countries Trials Programme, USAID, Gates Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, National Research Foundation, South African Department of Science & Innovation, and Global Fund and nonfinancial support from Gilead Sciences; having a patent for tenofovir gel licensed; and being president of the World Academy of Sciences, co-chair of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief scientific advisory board, member of the Friends of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and vice chair of the WHO HRP Alliance advisory board. Dr S. Abdool Karim reported receiving grants from NIH, European and Developing Countries Trials Programme, USAID, Gates Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, National Research Foundation, South African Department of Science & Innovation, and Global Fund and nonfinancial support from Gilead Sciences; receiving a stipend from Sanofi; having patents for tenofovir gel and CAP256V2LS antibody licensed; and serving as special advisor to the director general of the World Health Organization, chair of the emergency consultative group advising the director general of Africa CDC, science council of WHO, and vice president of the International Science Council.

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Malani P. Thirty-Five Years of HIV Research in Africa—An Interview With Winners of the 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award. JAMA. Published online September 19, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.19030

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