Promoting Well-Being through the Life Course

Swiss TPH has a strong track record in the 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. This includes contributions to global efforts to enhance the integrated management of childhood illnesses through eHealth solutions, prevent childhood stunting through community-based interventions, and improve nutrition and promote healthier diets through locally driven action.

In addition, we support partners across 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. Swiss TPH leads global and regional evaluations to inform evidence-based policy making on youth development, sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health services, and the empowerment of young people as agents of change in their communities.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming highly prevalent worldwide and increasingly contribute to morbidity and premature 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, the Balkans, Asia, Africa and the Americas. 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 long-term projects in, for example, Moldova, Kosovo and Albania we work with local governments to improve access to quality health services for NCD patients, and facilitate that people take greater responsibility for their own health. In Kosovo and Moldova, we promote the WHO concept of Integrated Patient-Centred Health Services (IPHCS) to address the socio-economic determinants of people’s well-being, foster collaboration between health and social services and so ensure that fewer people are left behind.

Swiss TPH has unique expertise in infectious diseases of poverty and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and combines research, education and services. Our work includes drug development against malaria, helminths, and protozoa, validation of approaches and tools, and capacity building with a focus on soil-transmitted and foodborne helminths, schistosomiasis, trypanosomes, and mycobacterial NTDs. 

We work 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 and for Modelling, Monitoring and Training for Malaria Control and Elimination.

We also address a variety of aspects related to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Switzerland and in settings where drinking water is scarce and poor hygiene drives infectious disease. WASH is central to integrated efforts to combat helminth infections and other NTDs in Africa and Asia. Our work includes improving sanitation in health facilities and schools, assessing WASH-related risks, promoting food and household hygiene, and conducting surveys on infrastructure, behaviours, and knowledge related to infectious diseases of poverty.