Hôpital Albert Schweitzer
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The Hôpital Albert Schweitzer was established in 1913 by
Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, ...
and Helene Bresslau Schweitzer in Lambaréné,
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
.


History

Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, ...
opened a hospital in 1913 in Lambaréné in what was then
French Equatorial Africa French Equatorial Africa (, or AEF) was a federation of French colonial territories in Equatorial Africa which consisted of Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. It existed from 1910 to 1958 and its administration was based in Brazzav ...
that became
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
, where he ran it until his death in 1965. He won the
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
in 1952 for his work there. Schweitzer used the prize money to build a
leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve da ...
colony. For most of its history, the hospital was operated, staffed, and funded by Europeans. Schweitzer worked with "fellowships" in many countries to fund his work (including the US Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, which was founded in 1940) and the fellowships were coordinated by the "Association Internationale de l'oeuvre du docteur Albert Schweitzer de Lambaréné" (AISL), which also oversaw the hospital. In 1974 the "Fondation internationale de l'Hôpital du docteur Albert Schweizer à Lambaréné" (FISL) was established and took over the duties of overseeing the hospital. Since its founding, the hospital has been rebuilt twice, the second time being in 1981. At the time of the 1981 construction, a research facility was included at the request of the Gabon government, which eventually became a separate non-profit organization called "Centre de Recherches Médicale de Lambaréné" (CERMEL), but was still governed by the board of the FISL. The staff and management of the hospital remained in European hands until around 2011, when for the first time an African, Antoine Nziengui, was appointed to lead the hospital.


Services

The hospital has been the primary source of healthcare for the surrounding region since it was founded in 1913. Periodic upgrades were made to the facility. The U.S.
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
has recognized the hospital's research laboratory as one of five leading facilities in Africa engaged in scientific studies of
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
. Children with severe malaria at the Schweitzer Hospital have the lowest documented mortality rate anywhere on the continent. As of 2017, it had 150 beds, an emergency room, a pharmacy, a laboratory and an x-ray unit, about 160 staff, 2 surgeons, 2 interns and 2 pediatricians. Around 50,000 people used it each year. Diseases like
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
and
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
are also a major focus. Schweitzer, his wife and several collaborators are buried nearby in a cemetery, among the old buildings which are a museum and have been submitted to the Tentative List to become a
UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.


See also

* Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albert Schweitzer Hospital Hospitals established in 1913 Hospitals in Gabon Leper colonies