The World Health Organization and Switzerland have officially sealed a renewed commitment to global and regional public health, formalizing their cooperation strategy for the 2024–2028 period. The formal agreement, which updates and extends a pioneering partnership, was officially concluded on March 4, 2025, at the Regional Office of the World Health Organization in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This landmark renewal marks another significant milestone in a collaborative relationship that dates back more than a decade. In 2013, Switzerland made history by becoming the very first high-income country within the WHO European Region to pilot a formal country cooperation strategy with the global health body. That initial step established a framework for structured dialogue, resource alignment, and joint technical cooperation between Swiss health authorities and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Over the subsequent years, this cooperative model demonstrated its value in navigating complex public health challenges, leading both parties to jointly decide in 2022 to update and renew the strategic framework for the years ahead.
The official signing ceremony in Copenhagen brought together key figures from both institutions to cement their shared vision for public health security and health systems strengthening. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, and Barbara Schedler, Ambassador for Global Health at the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, met to agree on the strategic path forward for closer collaboration. A defining moment of the gathering was captured as Dr. Kluge held the newly finalized WHO Country Cooperation Strategy document alongside Ambassador Schedler, symbolizing a mutual dedication to addressing contemporary health priorities across Europe and beyond.
The newly minted WHO–Switzerland Country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2028 serves as a comprehensive roadmap designed to navigate the evolving landscape of public health. While the original 2013 framework laid the groundwork for high-income country collaboration, the updated strategy takes into account the lessons learned from recent global health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, antimicrobial resistance, noncommunicable diseases, and the growing intersection of climate change and health. By aligning Swiss public health expertise and resources with the strategic objectives of the WHO European Region, the partnership aims to foster resilient health systems, enhance health security, and promote universal health coverage.
This renewed strategy also builds upon other high-profile collaborative efforts between Switzerland and the global health agency. Among the most notable recent initiatives is the ongoing partnership for the global BioHub system. Designed to facilitate the rapid, safe, and transparent sharing of novel pathogens and clinical materials, the global BioHub system represents a critical cornerstone of international pandemic preparedness. Switzerland’s active engagement in this system underscores its enduring role not only as a vital host nation for international organizations in Geneva but as an active, operational partner in global health security architecture.
Stakeholders, public health officials, and interested observers can access the full details of the agreement through official channels. The official news release, along with the complete text of the WHO–Switzerland Country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2028, has been made publicly available on the WHO/Europe website. Additionally, further documentation regarding the ongoing collaboration between Switzerland and the WHO concerning the global BioHub system provides deeper insights into how the two entities are operationalizing their partnership to protect populations from future biological threats.
As the implementation of the 2024–2028 strategy gets underway following its formalization in March 2025, both the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health anticipate that this enduring partnership will continue to yield tangible benefits for public health policy, scientific exchange, and multilateral cooperation. Through continued dialogue and coordinated action, Switzerland and the WHO remain firmly positioned to address both persistent health disparities and emerging global health crises in the years leading up to 2028 and beyond.
