The challenge of chronic diseases

More than 9 million deaths a year can be attributed to chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, AIDS/HIV, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. These ailments affect men and women to almost the same degree, but occur by far the most in countries with low to medium national incomes, weighing heavily on their health systems.

With the theme: 'A Critical Shift to Chronic Conditions: Learning from the Frontliners', the Geneva Health Forumbrings together the principal players in this field. There will be an exchange of ideas and innovative solutions with a public comprising primarily clinical specialists, nurses, general practitioners, researchers, decision-makers, representatives of industry, hospitals, international organisations, and patient organisations.

Health is a top priority for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). For this reason, several of its projects carried out in collaboration with Swiss organisations will be presented in Geneva by partners from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Tanzania.

The SDC has worked for many years with the University Hospitals of Geneva, the organiser of the 'Geneva Forum: Towards Global Access to Health', which is taking place for the fourth time since 2006. The SDC is supporting this year’s Geneva Health Forum with CHF 100'000.