Introduction

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and coordinates international cooperation within the Swiss administration in collaboration with other federal offices [1], actors of civil society and the private sector. In carrying out this mandate, SDC acts as the public face of Switzerland in global development, transformation processes and in humanitarian aid.

One of the five thematic priorities [2] of SDC is to increase social justice. Health is considered an important determinant of social and economic development and therefore understood as an essential component of the overall aim to increase social justice.

This Health Policy outlines priority fields of cooperation based on a context analysis of the evolution in international health, experience with and input from the partner countries, the agency's guiding principles and relevant documents of SDC to which this instrument refers [3]. The Policy will serve decision-makers and collaborators within the agency, but also its various partners in Switzerland, the countries of cooperation and the international community. It informs on all aspects of SDC's cooperation in health, be it bilateral, multilateral or humanitarian aid. This new Health Policy replaces the previous «Health Development Policy» of 1995 and shall be valid until 2010.