4. July 2025
Author and photo credits: Valérie Bertschy, Skat Foundation
On June 17-18, 2025, the hands4health consortium came together for one last time in its current form to reflect on its journey, share learnings, and chart a way forward. Co-organized with the Swiss Water & Sanitation Consortium (SWSC), the WASH Symposium took place at the FHNW Campus in Muttenz, Switzerland, gathering partners, practitioners, government representatives, and researchers from across the globe.
A Global Gathering with Local Energy
The first day of the symposium welcomed a hybrid audience, with around 40 people present on-site and approximately 45 participants joining online from around the world. This virtual and in-person setting allowed for rich exchanges across borders and disciplines. The program covered a wide range of themes central to hands4health and the SWSC:
- WASH FIT and Strengthening Primary Health Care
- Sustaining Hardware in Schools in Crisis Settings
- From Field Implementation to Strategic Integration at National Level
- Measuring Impact: Data, Indicators and Lessons Learned
The day concluded with a keynote by Martina Schmidt, Research Focal Point at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), who presented SDC’s evolving approach to research for development and emphasized the importance of applied, collaborative research for long-term impact.
After a day of learning and reflection, participants gathered on the top floor of the FHNW building for an apéro riche – a celebratory and convivial moment to connect, engage, and reminisce about the achievements of the two consortia.
From Knowledge to Practice: Workshop Day
The second day was held fully on-site and dedicated to interactive workshops. Participants explored questions critical to the future of WASH interventions:
- How can we better engage stakeholders across levels?
- In what ways can evidence be used as a pathway to scale?
- Why is behavior change essential for sustainable WASH outcomes?
- What role does advocacy play in shifting mindsets and priorities?
The diversity of experiences in the room – spanning health, education, engineering, and policy – sparked dynamic discussions and opened new avenues for future collaboration.
A special Milestone
One of the symposium’s greatest highlights was the presence of partners from all four hands4health project countries and all three regional advisors of the SWSC, who were able to join us in Switzerland. Their contributions grounded the discussions in real-world experience and served as a powerful reminder of the shared commitment to strengthening WASH systems in schools and health care facilities.
As the hands4health project enters its final chapter, the symposium was not only a celebration of past achievements but also a call to carry forward the lessons, partnerships, and momentum built over the past 4.5 years.
