Erika Sutter

[1] Motivated by her faith, she joined the Swiss Mission in South Africa and worked at the Elim Hospital.

After considering a teaching career, she worked at Swiss pharmaceutical firm Hoffmann-La Roche in the animal physiology department.

[4] Sutter first heard about the Swiss Mission in South Africa from her friend Marie-Louise Martin, who was then working as a high school chaplain in Basel.

[4] Although raised a devout Christian, Dr. Sutter did not see her commitment to missionary service as a religious calling, nor a means to fulfill her personal ambition.

[5] To train to be an ophthalmologist, she returned to Switzerland to study ophthalmology and practice surgical procedures in the Basel Eye Hospital.

[2] Care Groups have helped spread awareness and address a wide range of problems such as HIV/AIDS and malnutrition in the region.

[6] One of Sutter’s most significant publications is Hanyane, a Village Struggles for Eye Health, an educational book that has been translated into many languages.

[5] The book goes into detail about effective preventive care and village development, and documents useful medical notes for ophthalmologists.

In her retirement, she spent most of her time traveling and giving presentations and teaching at the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel and at the International Centre for Eye Health in England.