Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission

The Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission (Difäm) is a German non-profit organization for global Christian health work headquartered in Tübingen, in the Merrit-und-Peter-Renz-Haus at Im Rotbad 46. It is organized as a registered association (eingetragener Verein). The organization supports its partner organizations in improving local health situations, especially for disadvantaged people in neglected regions, and promotes what it describes as equitable, sustainable and high-quality health care. The association strengthens church health services by building and equipping health facilities with essential medicines and medical devices, improving medicine supply, and training health personnel. Prevention and treatment of infectious diseases as well as non-communicable, chronic and neglected diseases, and the promotion of maternal and child health, are focal points. In building primary health care, the active participation of the local population is central. Difäm advises and accompanies project partners in Germany and in countries of the Global South in strategic planning and in the design, implementation and evaluation of health projects. The association is the sponsor of the Tropenklinik Paul-Lechler-Krankenhaus gGmbH and of Hospiz Tübingen. It is involved in the Aktionsbündnis gegen AIDS and is a member of the Diakonisches Werk Württemberg and of VENRO. Its work is supported by two dependent foundations under church law, administered by the Stiftung der Evangelischen Landeskirche in Württemberg: the Difäm-Stiftung für Gesundheit weltweit and the Juliane-von-Koch-Stiftung. Difäm Weltweit, the worldwide health work division, has more than 20 full-time staff working in projects and programs, in the Difäm specialist unit for pharmaceutical development cooperation, in the education team, in the communication team and in administration. Five volunteers support daily work. Wolfgang Stäbler is responsible as interim director for worldwide health work. The Difäm Weltweit division holds the DZI donation seal. The organization also runs the Tropenklinik Paul-Lechler-Krankenhaus, which offers travel medicine preventive examinations, and provides standardized home and travel pharmacies for departing development cooperation staff. Focus countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, Malawi, Chad, Kenya and India. In tropical medicine seminars, Difäm trains medical professionals from mission societies, German Doctors or Médecins Sans Frontières in tropical medicine and public health and prepares them for assignments abroad. Since 2015 the association has been involved in refugee work, supporting medical care in state initial reception centers and emergency shelters in the Baden-Württemberg region. The organization also provides advice on health projects and on assignments abroad, and its specialist unit for pharmaceutical development cooperation supports medicine supply and quality control, including through mobile compact laboratories (minilabs) and analyses in certified laboratories such as MEDS in Kenya.

The Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission (Difäm) is a German organization for global Christian health work based in Tübingen. It is organized as a registered association. According to its own statements, it has been promoting health care in economically poor countries and regions for over 100 years, especially for disadvantaged, vulnerable and needy people. The organization works with Christian partner organizations and local health networks to build local health structures and sustainably improve the health situation in project countries. The supporting association of Difäm Weltweit is the Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission e. V., which is also the sponsor of the Tropenklinik Paul-Lechler-Krankenhaus and Hospiz Tübingen. Difäm Weltweit is a member of the Diakonisches Werk Württemberg through its supporting association. Committed church congregations and StuDifäm, an active group of medical students at the University of Tübingen, support its work. Over the decades, the organization has developed a broad portfolio. Its health advisors advise, accompany and support project partner organizations in Germany and abroad in planning and implementing health projects in economically poor countries and regions. Partners include church works, associations and development cooperation partner organizations such as Brot für die Welt – Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung and action medeor, mission societies, and partners in the respective countries, including umbrella organizations of Christian health work and church health services. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Difäm also supports the sponsor of the Nobel Peace Prize, Denis Mukwege, with project aid, advice and training of medical students and specialists. The organization's goal is a world in which all people have access to the best possible health care. Its work focuses on improving primary health care, strengthening and building local health systems, building and equipping health facilities, improving medicine supply, training health personnel, combating infectious diseases as well as non-communicable, chronic and neglected diseases, and promoting maternal and child health. The active participation of communities is a core element. Focus countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, Malawi, Chad, Kenya and India. In tropical medicine seminars, Difäm trains medical professionals from mission societies, German Doctors or Médecins Sans Frontières in tropical medicine and public health and prepares them for assignments abroad. Since 2015, the association has been involved in refugee work and supports medical care in state initial reception centers and emergency shelters in the Baden-Württemberg region. The Difäm specialist unit for pharmaceutical development cooperation (formerly known as Arzneimittelhilfe or the Weltapotheke) advocates comprehensive medicine supply and the strengthening of pharmaceutical structures and quality controls on site. It supports the training and further education of local specialists for work in pharmacies and hospitals, advises local project partners and development cooperation organizations on building pharmaceutical supply structures, and promotes the establishment of church central pharmacies in African countries. As a central procurement agency according to § 47 of the German Medicines Act, it helps bridge supply bottlenecks. It supports partners in quality assurance through mobile compact laboratories (minilabs) and analyses in certified laboratories such as MEDS (Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies) in Kenya. It also provides home and travel pharmacies for departing development cooperation professionals. The association is involved in the Aktionsbündnis gegen AIDS and is a member of the Diakonisches Werk Württemberg and VENRO. Its work is supported by two dependent foundations under church law, administered by the Stiftung der Evangelischen Landeskirche in Württemberg: the Difäm-Stiftung für Gesundheit weltweit and the Juliane-von-Koch-Stiftung. Difäm Weltweit has more than 20 full-time staff and five volunteers. Wolfgang Stäbler is responsible as interim director for worldwide health work. The Difäm Weltweit division holds the DZI donation seal. Professor Dr. med. Carsten Krüger was unanimously elected director by the members' assembly.

• 2026

  Carsten Krüger unanimously elected director by the members' assembly.

• 2015

  Difäm begins involvement in refugee work in Baden-Württemberg.

• Difäm has been promoting health care in economically poor countries for over 100 years (per official website).

A Christian non-profit organization for equitable, sustainable and high-quality health care worldwide, working with local church partners and health networks.

• Tropenklinik Paul-Lechler-Krankenhaus

  A tropical medicine clinic operated by the association, offering travel medicine preventive examinations.

• Hospiz Tübingen

  A hospice in Tübingen operated by the association.

• Difäm Weltweit health projects

  Health projects in focus countries including DR Congo, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Chad, Kenya and India.

• Pharmaceutical development cooperation

  Specialist unit for medicine supply, quality control, minilabs and central procurement.

• Tropical medicine seminars

  Training for medical professionals from mission societies, German Doctors or Médecins Sans Frontières.

• ALMS donation scam

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• Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo
• Konfi-Lauf für den Kongo

1. 1Gerechte und nachhaltige Gesundheitsversorgung: Difämdifaem.de
2. 2Gesundheit für alle Menschen weltweit und lokal in Tübingen: Difämdifaem.de
3. 3Beratung zu Gesundheitsprojekten und zum Auslandseinsatz: Difämdifaem.de
4. 4Adresse zum Difäm Weltweit und und Wegbeschreibung: Difämdifaem.de
5. 5Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Missionwikidata.org
6. 6Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Missionde.wikipedia.org