Vision & Mission

Todays multi resistant bugs are much more dangerous enemies than child bed fever back at Semmelweis‘ time. The Semmelweis Foundation wants to contribute to reduce antimicrobial resistances and increase the hygiene level in health care institutions…
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Organization & History

The Foundation was established in 2012 in Vienna, Austria, by a group of engaged private individuals, and meanwhile operates across borders in order to address relevant health care topics across the EU region…
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Why Semmelweis?

Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis identified missing hand hygiene of gynecologists and students as cause for this high infection rate. His publication is till now considered one of the most important ones in the entire medicine…
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Next week I will start my position as “doctor” at the first ward of the maternity clinic at the Vienna General Hospital. When I heard about the percentage of patients which die in this clinic, I was horrified. This month, believe it or not, 36 of 208 mothers died, all in cause of child bed fever. Giving birth is as dangerous as a pneumonia of first degree.
Diary, Ignaz Semmelweis, July 1846
Nächste Woche trete ich meine Stelle als »Herr Doktor« auf der ersten Station der Entbindungsklinik im Allgemeinen Krankenhaus von Wien an. Ich war entsetzt, als ich vom Prozentsatz der Patienten hörte, die in dieser Klinik sterben. In diesem Monat starben dort sage und schreibe 36 von 208 Müttern, alle an Kindbettfieber. Ein Kind zur Welt zu bringen ist genauso gefährlich wie eine Lungenentzündung ersten Grades.
Tagebuch von Ignaz Semmelweis, Juli 1846
Next week I will start my position as “doctor” at the first ward of the maternity clinic at the Vienna General Hospital. When I heard about the percentage of patients which die in this clinic, I was horrified. This month, believe it or not, 36 of 208 mothers died, all in cause of child bed fever. Giving birth is as dangerous as a pneumonia of first degree.
Diary, Ignaz Semmelweis, July 1846

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