Promoting Health through the Life Course

Swiss TPH has a track record of successful implementation of projects related to maternal and newborn health. In recent years, we have increasingly engaged in research, technical support and policy advice related to child and adolescent health. Swiss TPH contributes to global efforts to enhance the integrated management of childhood illnesses through eHealth solutions and prevent childhood stunting through community-based interventions.

In addition, we support partners in the global youth ecosystem by generating evidence on impactful approaches to adolescent health through high-level reviews and evaluations of youth-led and youth-serving programmes on issues ranging from meaningful youth engagement to youth-led accountability, and girl-centred branded health communication. We lead global and regional evaluations for evidenced-based policy making on youth development as with the 2016 Global evaluation of UNFPA support to Adolescent and Youth and the 2020 evaluation of the East and Southern Africa Commitment on comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and young people.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming highly prevalent worldwide and increasingly contribute to premature morbidity and mortality. Ageing populations, behavioural aspects, environmental risks and other complex mechanisms are contributing factors. Swiss TPH is involved in interventions to address NCDs such as strengthening patient knowledge, integrating community services and supporting national institutions with policy-making throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. By working closely with national and local governments and local WHO offices, Swiss TPH aims to improve the quality of care for NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. Through the Healthy Life Project, we support the Republic of Moldova in improving access to quality health services for NCD patients, with a special focus on the most vulnerable groups, as well as in ensuring public health interventions so that citizens take greater responsibility for their own health. The Healthy Life Project is driven by the knowledge that Integrated Patient-Centred Health Services (IPHCS) holds the key to ensuring social inclusion and that fewer people are left behind.

Swiss TPH has unique expertise in neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by combining research, education and services. Our work covers helminth and protozoan drug development, the validation of approaches and tools, and capacity building with a focus on soil-transmitted and food-borne helminths, schistosomes, trypanosomes and mycobacterial NTDs. Swiss TPH works closely with donors and national control programmes and offers services such as policy advice and technical assistance in project implementation including outcome evaluation. Swiss TPH is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology and Control of Helminth Infections.

Swiss TPH also works on a variety of aspects related to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Switzerland as well as countries where drinking water is scarce and where poor hygiene is a leading cause of infectious disease. WASH plays a major role in integrated approaches to fight helminth infections and other NTDs in Africa and Asia. Moreover, we study ways to improve sanitation facilities in health centres or schools, research WASH-related risk or identify ways to educate pupils or household members in questions related to food and kitchen hygiene. We also regularly conduct surveys pertaining to WASH infrastructure, needs and behaviour.