Following the establishment of the foundation in 2003, Hans Lutz worked alongside Ruedi Lüthy as a member of the board of trustees and as a long-time companion in the development and operation of Newlands Clinic in Harare. After Ulrich Mayer stepped down as a chairman of the board of trustees at the beginning of 2022, Hans took over his role until his death in March 2024.

Sabine Lüthy has headed the foundation since 2012 with great passion, leadership and social aplomb. Over these twelve years she raised awareness in Switzerland of the fact that HIV is still a pressing health problem in Zimbabwe. Thanks to her spirited commitment and charming perseverance, year after year she convinced many generous people to help keep Newlands Clinic in Harare running with their donations.

Newlands Clinic in Harare hosted a special event on October 9, 2023: the very first "Research Day" with a focus on HIV research and treatment. This was initiated to share experiences, knowledge, and innovative approaches in this medical field and thus strengthen networking among healthcare professionals.

On 23 August 2023 the board of trustees decided to spread the load of managing the Ruedi Lüthy Foundation over more than one person. Gregor Neidhart will be serving as co-chief executive alongside Sabine Lüthy. This step is necessary because Sabine Lüthy’s recovery from a serious post-Covid syndrome is unfortunately taking longer than hoped.

A study by our Medical Director, Dr Margaret Pascoe, shows how HIV care in Zimbabwe has changed over the last two decades. A short article with insights into the study was recently published in the Medical Education Newsletter "HIV Focus" in Africa.

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The foundation closed the year with an operating loss of around CHF 300,000. A good 90 per cent of total expenses flowed into aid projects. Thanks to a high degree of professionalism and efficiency, a record increase of 471 patients was managed well. The annual loss of CHF 2.4 million is primarily due to a poor year on the stock markets.

Last year we were again able to contribute to applied HIV research. In particular, our cooperation with the University of Bern was further intensified.

The training centre has again trained more than 1,000 people in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. It has expanded its activities in the provinces and districts. That way, the knowledge gets directly to the places where it’s still largely lacking.

The HIV epidemic is maturing, and new challenges like HIV-associated cancers and non-communicable diseases are emerging. Our Director Clinical Affairs, Dr Margie Pascoe, explains how Newlands Clinic addresses these changes.

The HIV treatment at Newlands Clinic is working. In almost all patients, the virus is no longer detectable in the blood. But with HIV-associated cancers on the surge, we’re facing a challenge. That’s why Newlands Clinic is increasingly focusing on cancer prevention and therapy.

In his review of the year, Hans Lutz writes about the changes in the foundation board and tells of his visit to Harare.

In his review of the year, Ruedi Lüthy writes of challenging situations and beautiful moments. His special thanks go to the team in Zimbabwe and the donors in Switzerland.