The Tropical Medicine and International Health Department at Barcelona's Hospital Clínic Celebrates 30 Years of Service

Thirty years ago, tropical medicine was a minor discipline in Spain. Nevertheless, in 1984 Dr Manuel Corachan of Barcelona's Hospital Clínic founded the Tropical Medicine Unit, the first unit of its kind at a Spanish tertiary hospital. Today, three decades later, the Hospital Clínic's Tropical Medicine and International Health Department treats 1200 patients every year and has been designated as a national referral unit by the Interregional Council of the Spanish National Health System.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of the unit, a book on its thirty years of pioneering work in global health—Pioneros de la Salud Global: 30 Años de Historia en el Hospital Clínic—was presented at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona on 30 September. Drawing on interviews with more than 50 people, the book traces the history of the department from the 1980s to the present.  The book has been produced thanks to the support of the Fundación BBVA and was presented by Dr Dídac Ramírez, Rector of the University of Barcelona; Dr Josep M. Piqué, Director General of the Hospital Clínic; and Dr Boi Ruiz, Catalan Minister of Health. The ceremony also included the participation of Dr Pedro Alonso, Dr Manuel Corachan, Dr Joaquim Gascon and Dr Clara Menéndez, who have all played important roles in the history of the Tropical Medicine and International Health Department.

"Our journey over these past 30 years has taken us far beyond clinical care to include important achievements in research and training", declared Pedro Alonso, Director of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). "In 1996, we created the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) in Mozambique, which today serves as our main tool for knowledge transfer between Spain and Africa. This was followed later by the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), an institution which subsequently became a key component in the decision to create ISGlobal." Together these institutions have improved the treatment of imported tropical diseases not only by creating knowledge through research but also by ensuring the transfer of this knowledge for the benefit of society.

Pioneros de la Salud Global