The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship translates idealism into action, supporting Schweitzer Fellows from the nation’s top health and human service schools annually as they develop and implement service projects with a direct — and lasting –impact on the health of underserved communities.

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) was founded to support the Nobel Peace Laureate Albert Schweitzer and his hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, West Africa.  The Schweitzer Hospital– a world leader in the fight against malaria, the leading killer of African children–serves as the primary source of health care for the surrounding region. ASF sponsors senior U.S. medical students as Schweitzer Fellows in medicine and pediatrics at the hospital. In nearly three decades, more than 100 Fellows provided medical care to Gabonese men, women, and children. Working with an international staff of Gabonese and other professionals, Fellows provide care each year through more than 35,000 outpatient visits and more than 6,000 hospitalizations for patients from all parts of Gabon.  ASF supports the hospital’s Medical Research Unit, which focuses on malaria and is one of the most respected and productive research facilities in Africa.  It also helped establish the Community Health Program, which is a national model for providing comprehensive village-based healthcare, vaccinations, and health education in rural areas.