Working Visit of Former Deputy Director of Swiss TPH Kaspar Wyss

In March 2025, Kyiv was visited by professor Kaspar Wyss, who served as deputy director of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) from 2020 until March 2025. The purpose of his visit was to help identify opportunities for development partnerships and strategic directions based on the achievements and challenges of the Ukrainian-Swiss Medical Education Development project, and to support the advancement of medical education in Ukraine.

Kaspar is a renowned expert in public health with extensive experience in health system development. He holds a PhD in epidemiology, a Master of Public Health (MPH), and an MBA. He is a professor at the University of Basel. His work involves leading a team of over 50 specialists in Basel focused on health system development. Kaspar has managed numerous research and implementation projects across Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, collaborating with organizations such as the World Bank, WHO, and UNICEF.

During his visit, Professor Wyss met with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, where he had discussions with Deputy Minister Serhii Dubrov and the management team responsible for medical personnel, education, and science. They discussed the project’s most impactful results, the challenges encountered, and shared plans for the future. Among the joint projects with the Ministry of Health are electronic residency placement, strengthening simulation-based approaches in medical education, developing regulatory documents on certification, peer groups, and continuous professional development for healthcare workers.

At a meeting with representatives of the project donor—the Swiss Embassy—Kaspar Wyss expressed gratitude for their support, highlighted challenges related to the project’s broad scope, and suggested possible solutions. Further steps to strengthen cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine in medical education were also discussed.

Professor Wyss also met with our project team to review our activities: what has been most successful, what requires special attention, and plans moving forward.

Mr. Wyss’s visit was an important and valuable event. Together, we critically assessed the project’s structure, and Kaspar gained a deeper understanding of the context of its implementation. We are confident that international cooperation in medical education and the training of highly qualified healthcare professionals in Ukraine will continue to grow and deepen.