Medicine and Development Beyond Borders
MEDAF Suisse (Médecine et Développement Au-delà des Frontières) is a non-profit humanitarian association, founded in 1985 and based in Le Locle, Switzerland.
Driven by Christian and humanitarian values, MEDAF has for nearly 40 years worked mainly in Africa to strengthen healthcare facilities, support the training of local medical staff and promote sustainable public health and development initiatives.
MEDAF is a recognised public-interest association and your donations are tax-deductible.
Our main current activities
training of healthcare workers at ISTSAN
Lodja, DRC
Educational support, scholarships (up to 61 students in 2024), improved infrastructure and connectivity.
Otema Hospital
Lodja, DRC
Support for Otema Hospital: medical equipment, medicines, support for staff salaries, improved transport and reception conditions.
Medical and surgical missions
Sankuru, DRC
Medical and surgical missions in isolated areas between Loméla, Lusambo and Tshudi in Sankuru province.
Our work on the ground
The association was founded by Dominique Bourgeois, a doctor specialising in tropical medicine, and his wife Danièle, a nurse. Despite its modest size, MEDAF is an agile and determined organisation, active notably in Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On the ground, it focuses its efforts alongside a nursing school, ISTSAN, and Otema Hospital, supporting local medical facilities and developing the training of healthcare workers, notably through international distance-learning courses. MEDAF also supports surgical missions in the bush.
The general objectives of MEDAF
The Association pursues the following humanitarian aims
Support hospitals and health centres
Promote the training of local medical staff.
Support the arrival of qualified healthcare professionals in the field.
Promote local health, agroecology and prevention.
Our values
MEDAF works with local communities with integrity, compassion and deep respect for people. Our aim is to train competent healthcare professionals, rooted in their own reality, able to meet essential needs with rigour and humanity. Guided by Christian values, we act in a spirit of service, placing human dignity and self-esteem at the heart of every project.
A forward-looking vision
While remaining faithful to its commitments, MEDAF continues to expand its network of partnerships and to initiate new forms of cooperation. We are strengthening our documentation, training and research tools to better respond to the health challenges of remote regions. Our aim remains the same: to act in a practical and lasting way to relieve human suffering, with deep respect for local cultures and particular attention to the most vulnerable
Join us
Whether you are a healthcare professional, a donor, a teacher, or simply sympathetic to our cause, your support matters. Together, let’s go beyond borders to build lasting health.
Contact us
Would you like to know more about our work or to discuss a partnership? Please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be delighted to talk with you and to answer any questions you may have.
Make a donation
Your financial support is essential to continue improving access to care and training in the most isolated regions. Every donation, large or small, makes a real difference on the ground.
Become a member
Join our committed community! By becoming a member of MEDAF, you play an active part in our projects and help build lasting health for vulnerable populations.