Health for Future is a movement active in the health sector, politics and society in general to develop sustainable cooperative solutions at all levels, and to initiate radical change.
Teaching
We are active in universities and hospitals to ensure that planetary health is better integrated into medical curricula, both for undergraduates and for healthcare professionals already in work. Health for Future students are also heavily involved in the Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC), an international initiative that uses an annual metric to study the commitment of health schools, particularly medical schools, to planetary health. All the information and results are available on their website. Switzerland joined the network in 2023, and every year students assess their medical school’s commitment to global health and can monitor their progress. The work of the PHRC in Switzerland was rewarded in Bern in 2023 at the SAMS forum on sustainable care.
We are looking for schools of physiotherapy, nursing, pharmacy or dentistry in Switzerland that would like to take part! If this national project inspires you, don’t hesitate to contact us:
A few articles :
Bulletin des médecins suisses – PHRC in Switzerland (2023)
Revue Médicale Suisse – Teaching global health in the Swiss undergraduate medical curriculum (2022)
Networking
We put interested people from the same region in touch with each other, create exchanges, act together and are in close contact with other initiatives. Health for Future Switzerland is a member of swimsa (the Swiss medical students’ association) and the ETHiC consortium (Ecological Transformation of healthcare in Switzerland). We also work with other environmental health groups, including the Doctors for Extinction Rebellion, les Engagé-es pour la Santé, les Médecins en faveur de l’environnement et l’Alliance santé planétaire.
Demonstrations
Health for Future regularly takes part in Climate Strikes and other events to represent healthcare professionals in the fight against climate change. We also support the Doctors for Extinction Rebellion and their actions, and were delighted to support the 2022 Blue March.
Raising awareness
Local groups regularly organise events for the general public, such as conferences, film screenings and round tables, to raise awareness of planetary health issues. We also work with younger audiences, for example in schools, and regularly set up stands with fun activities.
Political engagement
Health for Future is also active on the political front, supporting health and environmental initiatives such as the 2023 Climate Act in Switzerland.
If you’re interested in any of these projects, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss how you can get involved!