PREFACE

It is my pleasure to present to you the Swiss TPH Annual Report 2022 and I wish you a good read.

I am filled with deep gratitude for all that we and our partners have accomplished over the past 12 months. With the move to our new headquarters in Allschwil, we successfully completed the largest project Swiss TPH was ever involved in. Here we are as an anchor institute in an emerging and bustling life science and biotech cluster. Our open working environment and modern laboratories start to bear fruit, as we work more collaboratively, break disciplinary silos and pursue even more partnership opportunities.

At Swiss TPH, we are driven by our passion to make a meaningful and measurable impact on the health of people locally, nationally and internationally. Hence, this past year, we continued to tackle some of the most pressing global health challenges to advance the health of people and improve their lives around the world.

Our staff, students and partners worked tirelessly on more than 350 projects in around 120 countries. Activities ranged from basic research to deepen the understanding of the mechanism of action and resistance patterns in bacteria, parasites and viruses, to assessing the accuracy of new diagnostics and determining the efficacy and safety of drugs and vaccines. We also worked on the implementation of interventions and strengthened health systems worldwide. The impact of Swiss TPH is also reflected in informing and guiding policy changes based on new evidence generated by our research and long-term cohort studies and biobanks. You can read more about how science guides new policy, and thus, improves people’s health and well-being in the Insights section on pages 24 – 30.

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated how interconnected our world is. Partnerships built on mutual trust, interdisciplinary approaches and strong global networks are key to identifying and responding to current and future health emergencies. Swiss TPH is committed to intensifying its efforts to address existing and emerging health threats, including climate change. At the heart of our mission is also the pursuit of more equitable health systems which benefit everyone. We are currently working on our new 4-year strategy (2025 – 2028) that will place even greater emphasis on these issues and guide our work in the coming years.

Preface

2022 has also seen a change in our Board of Governors: Eva Herzog, Member of the Swiss Council of States of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, has been elected by both Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt as the new President, succeeding Andreas Burckhardt. I would like to wholeheartedly thank Andreas for his commitment and support over the past seven years while he served as President and warmly welcome Eva to her new role. Her experience and leadership will be a valuable asset to our institute and I look forward to introduce her to key partners and institutions in Tanzania later this year, after the successful visit to Côte d’Ivoire in January 2023. You can read more about our President’s vision for Swiss TPH in Future Perspectives on pages 6 – 8.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to our talented and intrinsically motivated staff, students and partners around the world. None of our achievements would be possible without their courage, integrity, passion and respect. We look forward to continuing our work with all of you, as we strive to improve the health and well-being of people around the world.

Prof. Dr. Jürg Utzinger Director, Swiss TPH