[Imported diseases: information, communication and continuing education].

With the increase of international travel and immigration, imported diseases have become more important in recent years in Switzerland. Diagnosis and therapy of imported diseases were simplified over the last years, whereby prophylaxis is still a complex problem, i.e. difficult to standardize. The article analyses information problems and presents what is done in Switzerland in this regard for each concerned group (travellers, practitioners and chemists, vaccination centers). Written information and courses for continuing education are generally available and adequate, but their impact is insufficient, perhaps because of the time constraints they impose. Electronic communication systems are not yet efficient due to their low access quota (spreading and standardization of the equipment), but the situation in regard to information as well as to continuing education will be better, as soon as these systems are accessible to the large public and well adapted, easy to use programmes will have been developed.