4 minute read
Preface
In this historic and transformative year that was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, never before has our mission – to make the world a healthier place – been more vital. Few of us could have foreseen the toll that COVID-19 would take on people’s health and well-being in all corners of the world. The pandemic will be remembered as one of the greatest challenges that we collectively faced as a society, but also as an era that heralded in immense scientific advancement and unprecedented international collaboration.
As of May 2021, 150 million people were diagnosed with COVID-19, there have been over three million deaths, and likely many more cases and deaths have gone unnoticed. In many parts of the world, health systems have been overburdened and economies strained. Access to education has been interrupted for millions of children, poverty increased globally and the inequality gap widened. The enormous progress made in global health over the past 20 years regressed within mere months.
Despite the devastating effects of the pandemic, there is a silver lining: the power of science and partnership has moved mountains in 2020. Within one year, approximately 100 COVID-19 vaccines reached various stages of clinical development and several of these vaccines successfully completed large phase III clinical trials and are now distributed to millions of people every day. Society has seen a major commitment from health and social workers, inter-agency collaboration and high-levels of leadership from countries coming together to leverage their experiences. Communities have also come together like never before to support one another during these exceptional times.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), however, lag behind when it comes to access to essential interventions such diagnostics, protective equipment and vaccines. The strong domestic and international focus on COVID-19 also poses a risk that other diseases, particularly poverty-related infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and parasitic worm infections, become even more neglected. There is a pressing need for global action in order to mitigate the public health impact of the pandemic, especially for populations in LMICs (Read about the collateral damage of COVID-19 on pages 28 – 30).
More than ever, we need to take a holistic perspective on human health – as we do at Swiss TPH. The coronavirus knows no borders: in the blink of an eye, it crossed the globe from China to Chile, from South Africa to Switzerland. Equitable access to diagnostics and vaccines is therefore not only a matter of solidarity, but also an act of common sense and self-protection,
because COVID-19 anywhere means COVID-19 everywhere (Read more about Swiss TPH’s contribution to COVID-19 relief efforts on pages 24 – 27).
While public health measures such as social distancing, facemasks and lockdowns may have fended off SARS-CoV-2, they have simultaneously given rise to mental health issues and increased social inequality. One of our local projects, COVCO-Basel, studied the impact of the pandemic on mental health and conducted a seroprevalence study with over 10,000 participants. This visionary project, which was supported by the cantonal governments and the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), will lay the groundwork for an innovative, digital cohort in Switzerland (Read more about the project on page 26).
I am particularly proud that at Swiss TPH – in addition to our considerable efforts to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic – we were able to continue with our manifold activities in research, education and services, which is evident in our portfolio of over 300 active projects. Throughout all of our projects, we are committed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a particular emphasis on SDG 3 “Ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” (See page 15). Tackling major global health issues requires an interdisciplinary approach and working handin-hand with partners – which is why we are pleased to work within research partnerships on these projects in not only Basel, Switzerland, but also in over 130 additional countries.
Recently, we have reaffirmed our commitment to improving the health and well-being of people – locally, nationally and internationally – with our new strategy 2021 – 2024. This has resulted in a considerable increase of funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), as well as from the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, and will enable us to better fulfil our mission of making the world a healthier place (Read more about this pivotal funding increase in the strategic interview with Basel Cantonal Councillors Monica Gschwind and Conradin Cramer on pages 6 – 8). It is my pleasure to share that we are well ontrack in regards to our upcoming move to the new Swiss TPH headquarters ‘Belo Horizonte’ in Allschwil, Switzerland. Thanks to the excellent work of the project team, committees, architects and numerous partners, we are rapidly approaching the day that we will work together under one roof.
At the heart of this report lies the commitment and dedication of our staff and students and the tireless support of our partners and funders all over the world. Despite the adversity and uncertainty we faced in 2020, we can be proud of what we achieved as an institute. Hence, I would like to wholeheartedly thank you all for your solidarity, perseverance and enthusiasm. Together, we will come out of this crisis stronger and continue to make strides towards our mission of making the world a healthier place.
Prof. Dr. Jürg Utzinger Director, Swiss TPH
→ Swiss TPH employees visits the new Swiss TPH headquarters ‘Belo Horizonte’ in Allschwil.
→ Jürg Utzinger (left) and Stefan Mörgeli (right) at the topping out ceremony of ‘Belo Horizonte’ in Allschwil, Switzerland on 19 June 2020.
