Published on 1 February 2026

Health

The FDFA contributes to Swiss health foreign policy and cooperates with various national and international actors. Since 2012, Switzerland has presented coherent positions in this area in its strategy ‘Swiss Health Foreign Policy’.

Climate, environment, health, science, space and the Arctic – in these areas as well, the FDFA safeguards Switzerland’s foreign policy interests. — © FDFA

At the end of 2023, the Federal Council extended its health foreign policy strategy through to 2028. It establishes coherent positions and objectives in six priority fields of action to ensure Switzerland's health policy is sustainable and effective at the international level. These are:

• health protection and humanitarian crises,
• equal access to medicines,
• sustainable healthcare provision and digitalisation,
• determinants of health,
• global health governance and
• addiction policy.

Cross-border cooperation on health has become increasingly urgent, and not just since the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to meet global challenges and overcome future health crises, countries must continue to work together. Switzerland promotes a resilient global health architecture at various levels and is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality healthcare services. The country has an excellent healthcare system and world-class research institutes, is home to innovative pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology companies and has a strong civil society. All of this allows it to make a significant contribution to strengthening global healthcare.

In addition to its health foreign policy work, Switzerland contributes to official development assistance in low- and middle-income countries, acting with a global mandate under the overarching goal of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development. At the multilateral level, the cooperation strategy helps shape Switzerland's approach to global health as well as its work with the World Health Organization (WHO) and in the wider UN system. At the bilateral level, the priority is to strengthen the healthcare systems in the many countries where Switzerland carries out development cooperation.

Switzerland's health policy interests and expertise are reflected in its work in the WHO and other international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).

The Interdepartmental Working Group on Health Foreign Policy brings together the FDFA, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Depending on the topic covered, other federal offices may also be involved, for example the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO).

Links

• SDC – Health and nutrition
• SDC – Health networks with interactive project map: SDC Health Network
• Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) – Multilateral cooperation
• Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) – One Health
• Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) – access to therapeutic products
• State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) – WTO
• State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)
• Swissmedic – international collaboration

Documents

• Switzerland's health foreign policy, extended until 2028

  PDF1.66 MB18 March 2025