Switzerland makes a splash with water development projects
WHO says 1,000 children under the age of five die every day because they lack access to clean water.
Keystone
Switzerland has helped eight million people get better access to clean drinking water and efficient irrigation systems for agriculture, says the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Presenting its mid-term report on 2017-2020 targets, SDCExternal link also highlighted providing hygienic toilet facilities to three million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The government agency has also teamed up with a Swiss start-up incubator in the Middle East, which has helped 650 firms launch water, sanitation and waste projects in the region.
SDC’s work in this area contributed towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes the requirement to make better use of water resources.
Some 844 million people currently lack access to clean water, SDC stated on Tuesday. According to the World Health Organization, 1,000 children under the age of five die every day because they lack access to clean water and sanitation.
The Swiss government has recently set the international cooperation priorities for the period 2021-2024. This sets out four focus regions: North Africa and the Middle East; sub-Saharan Africa; Central, South and South-East Asia; and Eastern Europe.
International cooperation will prioritise poverty reduction and human security, forge closer links with the private sector and seek international cooperation on migration issues.
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The UN Human Rights Council approved the launch of this mechanism in Geneva on Friday, to be followed by an International Commission of Inquiry.
More than 100 wolves shot in Switzerland last year
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Swiss hunters legally killed 101 wolves between February 1, 2024, and the end of January 2025. A further six died in accidents or from natural causes.
Swiss health office turns to Bluesky against backdrop of US censorship
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The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has joined the Bluesky social network, while US President Donald Trump works with X owner Elon Musk to censor content on official US websites.
Biotech company BioVersys is first Swiss IPO of 2025
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The Basel-based biotech company BioVersys made the first initial public offering (IPO) of the year in Switzerland on Friday.
Much more spent on Swiss motorway vote campaigns than budgeted
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Opponents and supporters of motorway expansion spent over CHF10 million ($11 million) on their campaigns, around a third more than announced in November.
Swiss researchers monitor animal populations with AI microphone
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Researchers in Lausanne are using an intelligent microphone to make the animal world audible. The microphone automatically records animal sounds over large areas and analyses them using AI.
Three employees of Swiss aid organisation killed in DRC
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Three employees of the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church (Heks) have been killed in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were on a humanitarian mission in the crisis region.
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All our waters today are pure at source," Muriel Lienau, general manager of Nestlé Waters, told AFP after press revelations.
Switzerland concerned about impact of US withdrawal from WHO
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Switzerland has expressed concern about the loss of American experts and the freezing of contracts due to the announced withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Each year, some half a million people die of malaria, many of them children. Switzerland is a world leader in research to combat the disease.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.