Good health and well-being

“Health and Well-being” as envisioned in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) - both in society and the world as well as for its student and staff - are organic interests and strengths of the Medical University of Vienna. Below, a number of key areas, in which the Medical University of Vienna tries to act on these goals, are outlined.

Collaborations with health institutions

The Medical University of Vienna collaborates with a number of well-regarded health institutions on local, national and even international level, signified – among other things – by the following examples:

• The University is embedded in the heart of the city of Viennas’ health system, as it provides the medical staff for the biggest public Viennese hospital, the Vienna General Hospital (“Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien” or short “AKH Wien”), which also functions as the Medical University of Viennas’ University Hospital.
• The rector of the Medical University of Vienna, Markus Müller, is currently the President of the Supreme Health Council (“Oberster Sanitätsrat”) of Austria, which also includes 10 other Members who work at the Medical University of Vienna. The current Supreme Health Council is constituted until the end of 2025.
• On an international level, the Medical University of Vienna cooperates with UNESCO in establishing and maintaining the UNESCO Chair on Bioethics, which is currently held by Christiane Druml from the Medical University of Vienna.

Health outreach programmes

Furthermore, the Medical University of Vienna also provides a number of health outreach programs - a lot of them directed towards local communities, disadvantaged people as well as refugees and immigrants. These include:

• A Social Competence course that has been a compulsory part of the study for over 15 years now – as part of the course, students intern in the “Haus der Barmherzigkeit”, a hospital in Vienna specializing in care for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities.
• The Medical University of Vienna is also offering support for Ukrainian refugees to continue their studies at the University. This includes a “buddies” program to help the refugees accustom to studying in Austria. Although generally mandatory for non-EU citizens, Ukrainian refugees also don’t need to pay tuition fees in the winter term 2024/25.
• As part of the Public Health Curriculum, students are also are working with marginalized patient populations and get in touch with various local neighborhoods, embedding themselves and reaching out to local communities.
• The Medical University of Vienna is also a cooperation partner of AmberMed, which aims to provide uninsured people with low-threshold basic medical care.

Sexual and reproductive health care services

Access to sexual and reproductive health-care services (including information and education) is also provided to students for free. This includes:

• Support for pregnant Students.
• Support for LGBTQ+ students.

Mental Health support

For both students and staff there is also free mental health support, and good mental health is being actively promoted:

• Regarding the promotion of good mental health, Medical University of Vienna researchers have coined the term “Papageno effect”, which is all about reducing suicidal ideation, and have also intensified collaboration with the media on the subject of suicide prevention.
• The Medical University of Vienna also helps students and staff with access to free psychological and mental health support.

Smoke-free Campus

Additionally, for a number of years now, the Medical University of Vienna has established a “smoke free campus” policy. Measures accompanying this policy are also enshrined in the current financing agreement (valid from 2022-2024) with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research.