Partnership is at the heart of everything we do

We work alongside communities, governments, research institutions, and public and private organisations on more than 400 projects in 120 countries. The most complex health challenges cannot be solved alone – progress depends on collaboration grounded in trust and sustained over time.

For more than 70 years, Swiss TPH has worked hand in hand with leading research institutes across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. These partnerships are the backbone of our global presence, built on shared scientific ambition, mutual capacity strengthening and trust that spans generations of researchers.

CÔTE D'IVOIRE – SINCE 1951

Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS)

A flagship of Swiss-African research collaboration, CSRS brings together more than 200 researchers and staff working across nutrition, biodiversity, One Health and parasitic worm diseases, in Côte d'Ivoire and across the wider sub-region. Swiss TPH acts as leading house for CSRS.

Partnership of 74+ years

TANZANIA – SINCE 1957

Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)

One of Africa's most respected research institutes, IHI develops strategies to combat malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, alongside a growing focus on chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Swiss TPH acts as leading house for IHI.

Partnership of 68 years

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – SINCE THE 1970S

Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR)

PNGIMR, the research arm of PNG's National Department of Health, works across respiratory, enteric and vector-borne diseases, sexual health and malnutrition. Swiss TPH collaborates on malaria and capacity strengthening, holding institutional membership in PNGIMR's partner network.

Partnership of 50+ years

CHAD – SINCE THE 1980S

Centre de Support en Santé Internationale (CSSI)

Formally established in N'Djamena in 1996, CSSI focuses on controlling human and animal infectious diseases, with particular attention to those most often left behind: women, children and nomadic communities in hard-to-reach areas.

Partnership of 40+ years

LAO PDR – SINCE THE 2000S

Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (Lao TPHI)

Research and training sit at the core of this partnership, spanning the study and control of parasitic worm infections, clinical testing of drugs against liver fluke disease, and the interaction of dengue fever and parasitic worm diseases with diabetes mellitus.

Partnership of 20+ years

PERU – SINCE 2013

Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH)

This collaboration centres on improving health at the household level in rural areas: reducing indoor air pollution, strengthening hygiene and promoting early childhood development.

Partnership of 10+ years

Swiss TPH serves as the Swiss Leading House for sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening scientific cooperation across the region and building the foundation for long-term, locally owned research capacity.

→ Learn more about the Swiss Leading House

Swiss TPH hosts three WHO Collaborating Centres, contributing technical expertise to global health policy, research and practice in the areas of helminth infections, malaria control and verbal autopsy.

→ Discover our WHO Collaborating Centres

The way we partner matters as much as who we partner with. Our collaborations are guided by principles of equity, mutual respect and shared ownership – from how research questions are framed to how findings are published and credited.

Swiss TPH adheres to the Six Principles for More Effective and Equitable Research of the Swiss Alliance for Global Research Partnerships (GRP Alliance), a framework built around six principles for equal, transparent and sustainable collaboration. This commitment shapes every partnership we enter, ensuring that the benefits of research are shared with the communities and institutions that make it possible – and designed to create impact that endures.

Swiss TPH works alongside research institutes, governments, the private sector and communities – relationships built on trust and sustained over decades. Selected partners and funders include:

European Commission
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)
Foundations including the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
The Global Fund
Pharmaceutical industry partners including Bayer, Merck, Novartis and Roche
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
UN agencies including UNICEF, Unitaid and WHO

→ Download the full list of partners and funders [PDF]