The FOPH informs the public about research involving humans and manages the Coordination Office for Human Research. The office coordinates the various supervisory authorities and ensures smooth communication between them.
Information for the public on human research
The FOPH has the task of informing the public about human research. To this end it operates the website "Kofam" which provides detailed information, for example on the legal underpinnings and on the actors involved and their rights and obligations. The website also incorporates the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (SNCTP), which displays all clinical trials being conducted in Switzerland and neighbouring countries.
As part of its duty to inform, the FOPH also publishes a summary of the annual reports of the individual ethics committees every year. The summary is accompanied by statistics on the type and number of research projects approved, compiled by the FOPH in conjunction with the Swiss Association of Research Ethics Committees (swissethics).
The two publications for 2023 can be found under the ‘Documents’ tab.
The publications from previous years can be found on the kofam website under ‘Downloads’.
Coordination Office for Human Research
The Coordination Office for Human Research is managed by the OFSP. Its two key tasks are the following:
- Ensuring regular exchange between the supervisory authorities concerned
- Issuing recommendations to harmonise authorisation and notification procedures in cooperation with the ethics committees
Last modification 04.11.2024
Contact
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Division of Biomedicine
Human Research Section
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
3003
Bern
Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 463 51 54
The FOPH operates the website Kofam: