How We Work

At Swiss TPH, we follow a clear and proven path: from Innovation → Validation → Application. This model ensures that our research moves beyond the lab and into the world, where it can make a real difference.

By integrating research, services and education, we create practical, sustainable solutions that strengthen health systems, guide policy, and improve lives – especially in low- and middle-income countries.

We focus our work on five global health priorities:

• Climate and Environment – Exploring how environmental change affects health and developing strategies for adaptation and mitigation.
• Infectious Diseases – Improving prevention, diagnostics, and treatment to combat diseases with a high burden in vulnerable communities.
• Non-Communicable Diseases – Strengthening prevention, early detection, and management of chronic diseases.
• Societal and Cultural Context – Understanding the social, behavioural, and cultural factors that shape health outcomes and access to care.
• Systems and Policies – Supporting resilient health systems and evidence-based policymaking to improve healthcare delivery.

Swiss TPH actively contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a primary focus on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. Our work to reduce disease burden, strengthen health systems, and improve access to care directly supports this goal. Through education, partnerships, and a commitment to equity, we also contribute to SDGs 4, 5 and 17 – while supporting broader progress on poverty reduction, inclusion, and accountable institutions.

Read more about our contribution

Swiss TPH upholds the highest standards in everything we do — from scientific rigour to operational excellence.

We are guided by:

• The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model, under which we earned a 3-star “Recognised by EFQM” certification in 2022 — the highest level of validation.
• A stringent process of regular external evaluation, commissioned by the Board of Governors, and carried out by the External Review Board (ERB).
• Active support of the UN Global Compact and its 10 principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.
• A strict internal quality assurance process through our Human Participant Research Desk, ensuring ethics approval for all research involving human participants.
• A comprehensive Code of Conduct that ensures integrity, respect, and transparency across all activities.
• A strong commitment to gender equality and DEI, promoting a respectful and inclusive workplace.
• Adherence to the 11 principles for research partnerships from the Swiss KFPE.

We also walk the talk on sustainability. Our decarbonisation policy includes energy-efficient infrastructure, sustainable travel practices, and responsible resource use.

We maintain strict guidelines for project acquisition and funding compliance, ensuring that every partnership aligns with our mission and values.

Collaboration is at the heart of our work. For over 80 years, Swiss TPH has partnered with ministries of health, the WHO, the Global Fund, academic institutions, NGOs, and private sector organisations to improve global health.

We maintain close ties with six key partner institutions in Tanzania, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, Laos, Papua New Guinea, and Peru, working together in research, training, and implementation. Built on trust and shared goals, these partnerships enable us to co-develop innovative solutions tailored to local and global needs.

Swiss TPH also hosts three WHO Collaborating Centres, providing expertise in disease control, health systems, and capacity building. These designations reflect our long-standing role as a trusted contributor to global health policy and implementation.

Our work leads to tangible change – in policy, in systems, and in people’s lives. Swiss TPH research and acitivities have:

• Contributed to the development of fexinidazole, the first all-oral treatment for sleeping sickness
• Provided evidence that informed WHO air pollution guidelines
• Supported malaria control strategies through large-scale impact studies
• Improved child health practices, including more effective use of antibiotics

We ensure that scientific knowledge is translated into action – reaching the communities who need it most.

Would you like to learn more? Read our blog posts and find out more about our work, our motivation and our reach.