Ethical principles

Empowerment of local populations

In its humanitarian aid missions and development aid projects, PSF Switzerland seeks lasting effects and aims to achieve long-term autonomy through the active involvement of the beneficiaries and skills transfer. This is why PSF Switzerland only acts at the request of its local partners and after assessing their needs, in order to strengthen local capacities and support their efforts to improve the health situation in the field.

PSF Switzerland’s support for its partner organisations usually consists of sponsorship of dispensaries or hospitals, and can take the form of:

► a supply of quality medicines

► rehabilitation and equipment work

► training of local staff and transfer of pharmaceutical and logistical skills

► local capacity building for administrative management tasks, for pharmacies’ stock management, etc.

Ethics concerning medicines

PSF commits itself, after rigorous determination of needs, to use and deliver only medicines that comply with the guidelines of the WHO and the International Pharmaceutical Federation. In addition, the use of essential medicines is strongly preferred. For more information, click here.

Ethical principles

PSF Switzerland respects the ethical principles that are at the heart of its field work :

► aid must be adapted to the needs of the field;

► each action must be carried out after a needs assessment in the field or at the request of local staff;

► medicines must remain in the hands of health professionals;

► quality standards must remain the same in the North as in the South;

► Medicine donations must respect the health policies of the recipient country;

► long-term aid is prioritised over one-off aid and is realised in collaboration with local staff.