STI designated as WHO Collaborating Center

Since February 2008, the Swiss Center for International Health (SCIH) of the STI has been designated as WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Systems Development. The designation is effective for a period of four years. SCIH's Terms of Reference (ToR) cover virtually all areas of its expertise:

1. To regularly share information, experiences and lessons learned in the area of health system development and strengthening to provide effective, equitable and sustainable health care to populations, and achieve Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed on health targets.
2. To perform research, develop policy guidance and provide technical support for developing sustainable health systems in countries with a strong focus on poverty reduction and equity promotion, including solutions in health financing, aid modalities and evaluation of cost-effectiveness of health interventions.
3. To create awareness and build up capacities regarding improved resource planning and management in health systems, including the implementation and evaluation in a number of countries of the WHO resource planning tool “Essential Healthcare Technology Package (EHTP)”.
4. To carry out research, capacity building and technical support to countries in health care infrastructure and technology management, ICT and telemedicine, and health technology assessment as a means to strengthen health systems.
5. To jointly review lessons learned in the area of promoting Human Resource for Health policies and practices for strengthening of health systems, carry further methodological approaches for assessing the HRH availability and requirements, and for establishing effective HRH policies.
6. To support the development of affordable and sustainable models for primary health care which provide increased access for poor and vulnerable groups, and better up-take of priority health interventions by the population, including effective and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems and services management in low income countries.
7. To support the development and promotion of comprehensive quality improvement frameworks, including quality standards and guidelines, tools for quality assurance and quality monitoring mechanisms based on international models for quality management in the health sector.
8. To provide expertise and collaboration in the drug and vaccine development, with a focus on tropical diseases, including clinical trials, postmarket studies, pharmacoeconomics as well as essential drugs.
9. To act as a Centre of Excellence and provide collaboration in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, gender and social development.
10. To provide programme and project advice, appraisal and monitoring to EEA financial mechanisms, GAVI, GDF of the Stop TB Secretariat, Global Fund, other global health initiatives, as well as jointly promote with WHO, a systemic approach to global health initiatives.

SCIH will do its level best to live up to these ambitious ToR.

In July 2006, the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology (GWE) of STI has been designated -- also for an initial period of 4 years -- a WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Capacity Building in Environment and Tropical Public Health. Among other issues, the ToR include (i) contribute, through interdisciplinary research to enhance the current knowledge-based on water, sanitation and health linkages, and (ii) contribute expertise to health impact assessments (HIAs) of water resources development projects commissioned by international and national development authorities.

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