Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
The AO is proud to be a good corporate citizen in all geographies where it has a presence. In 2023, we found new ways to strengthen fracture care in low- and middle-income countries, engage with our local community in Davos, Switzerland, and reduce our carbon footprint.
AO Alliance
The AO continues to support AO Alliance, a nonprofit development organization dedicated to
strengthening care of the injured in 35 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Sub-Saharan Africa
and in Asia.
The mission of AO Alliance is to reduce human suffering, disability, and poverty by implementing
programs that enhance local fracture-care capacity for sustainable impact. AO Alliance boasts an
impressive network of more than 800 faculty from Africa and Asia, who deliver education and training
locally to their fellow healthcare workers. In 2023, close to 8,000 healthcare workers were trained; since
2015, over 41,000 healthcare workers have been trained in timely and appropriate fracture care through
1,200 education events.
The AO—in the community
Davos has been the AO’s headquarters since the organization was founded, and we are proud to give back to this active mountain community and to initiatives throughout Switzerland promoting community, health, and education.
ARGO
The ARGO Foundation is dedicated to the integration of people with disabilities in Kanton Graubünden, including Davos. ARGO runs commercial workshops and residential homes for adults with different abilities.
Greenhope: Supporting families of children with cancer in Switzerland
The AO believes in the power of building community around health, so it is fitting that the AO has chosen to support Greenhope, a group that organizes recreational events for children with cancer and their families in Switzerland with the goal of building happy and carefree moments with one another. In addition to its financial contribution, the AO organizes an annual event with staff volunteers in Davos for Greenhope’s families.
Healthy kids, healthy bones
The AO’s “Gesunde Kinder = Gesunde Knochen” (Healthy Kids = Healthy Bones) initiative supports local children through its support of 17 youth clubs in and around Davos that promote exercise and a healthy lifestyle from a young age, laying the groundwork for improved well-being and healthier habits as kids grow.
Hockey Club Davos: Juniors and Ladies teams
The AO supports the Hockey Club Davos (HCD) with comprehensive sports medicine care for both the HCD Juniors and the HCD Ladies teams.
Swiss Young Researchers
The AO also supports the Swiss Young Researchers (Schweizer Jugend Forscht, or SJf). SJf is committed to the sustainable promotion of talented young people with scientific curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The target group is talented high school and vocational school students between 16 and 21 years old whose work at Switzerland’s National Competition received top marks from the SJf expert jury. The competition’s special prize included a five-day stay in Davos that covers travel and accommodation, with visits to the AO Foundation and the eCM conference.
Sustainable energy production and consumption
The AO Center in Davos is home to a biogas project that reduces the volume of methane released into the atmosphere while producing renewable green energy and heat for AO buildings. This investment in improving our sustainability replaces previous years’ carbon offsetting projects. In 2023, we continued to optimize energy use and actively reduce our CO2 emissions.
Faculty donations
Our international faculty and board members contribute to the AO’s CSR activities by donating a percentage of their per diems.
