Executive Summary

The Swiss Federal Council approved funding for the NASURE project ("National Surveillance and Response") on June 12, 2026. The new national platform will centrally consolidate and analyze epidemiological data from various health systems. With costs of 45.3 million francs for the first implementation phase (2026–2034), reports of communicable diseases are to be fully digitalized and automated. The project is part of the DigiSanté program for digital transformation of the health care system.

Persons

  • Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) (Project Sponsor)
  • Federal Office for Civil Protection (BABS) (Risk Assessment)

Topics

  • Health Care Digitalization
  • Epidemiological Surveillance
  • Pandemic Prevention
  • Data Integration

Clarus Lead

The Covid-19 pandemic had revealed serious gaps in Swiss disease surveillance: reports came through different channels, systems were not networked, manual processing overwhelmed authorities. NASURE addresses these weaknesses through a unified, automated platform. The project is time-critical – the Federal Office for Civil Protection ranks pandemics as the greatest risk to society and the economy. With approval, the organizational prerequisites are created to detect and combat future health crises more quickly.

Detailed Summary

Switzerland's mandatory reporting system currently operates through decentralized structures: cantons, physicians, hospitals, and laboratories report dangerous pathogens to the BAG, but the technical infrastructure is fragmented. The pandemic forced improvised solutions – Covid reports were hastily standardized. NASURE is to replace this patchwork with a coherent architecture.

The platform operates according to the Once-Only Principle: health care facilities transmit data once, the BAG processes it centrally and provides it in standardized form to cantons, the federal government, and partners. Anonymized information is made publicly accessible via the "BAG Information Portal for Communicable Diseases." The first phase (through end of 2028) establishes basic functionalities for the mandatory reporting system and modernizes outdated systems such as Sentinella (for general practitioners and pediatricians) and the reporting system for rare childhood diseases. The second phase (through 2034) integrates additional data sources, such as wastewater monitoring, and could also include One-Health approaches and antibiotic resistance surveillance following revision of the Epidemics Act.

The total commitment credit is 50.3 million francs; the released 45.3 million cover the initial stages. NASURE is one of three core projects of the DigiSanté program (alongside health data space and microdatacenter), which Parliament funded with 392 million francs in 2024. Despite parliamentary cost-cutting mandates, the project can proceed with slight budget reduction.

Key Statements

  • Federal Council approves 45.3 million francs for digital surveillance platform NASURE (2026–2034)
  • Fragmented reporting systems integrated into unified, automated national platform
  • Once-Only Principle reduces duplicate data entry; enables faster detection and control of communicable diseases
  • Pandemics as greatest risk for Switzerland – project central to crisis preparedness

Critical Questions

  1. Data Quality & Validation: How is it ensured that data consolidated from decentralized sources (hospitals, laboratories, practices) is consistent and error-free? What quality control mechanisms are provided in NASURE?

  2. Data Protection & Anonymization: The system processes sensitive health data centrally. What technical and organizational measures protect against unauthorized access or misuse? How is anonymization for public portals verified?

  3. System Failure Risks: A centralized platform is a single point of failure. What redundancies and contingency plans exist if NASURE fails? How is operational continuity ensured during pandemics?

  4. Adoption & Compliance: The reporting system depends on compliance from cantons, physicians, and laboratories. What incentives or sanctions ensure complete data transmission? How are resistances to system change addressed?

  5. Cost Control: The total credit is 50.3 million francs over 9 years. How is the cost framework structured? What risks for budget overruns have been identified?

  6. Interoperability with Cantons: Cantons have their own health systems. How is technical compatibility with cantonal infrastructure ensured? Who bears the integration burden and costs?

  7. Wastewater Monitoring Integration: Phase 2 plans wastewater data sources. Are standards for wastewater analytics already defined? Which laboratories are obligated to provide data?

  8. Political Dependency: Further tasks (One-Health, antibiotic resistance) depend on revision of the Epidemics Act. How likely is this revision? Is there risk that NASURE remains incomplete?

Sources

Primary Source: [Federal Council Approves Digital Surveillance Platform NASURE] – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/LaA5GS2NPn4MPJVZ0CxWo

Supplementary Sources:

  1. NASURE (National Surveillance & Response) – https://www.digisante.admin.ch/de/nasure-national-surveillance-response-de
  2. DigiSanté Program – Parliamentary Resolution May 29, 2024 (392 million francs)

Verification Status: ✓ 12.06.2026

This text was created with the assistance of an AI model.
Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 12.06.2026