Experiences of a war surgeon and humanitarian medicine

ORGANIZER: Società Dante Alighieri Locarno

Muralto. Palazzo dei Congressi.

Thursday, 20 November 2025, 6:00 pm.

Admission: free.

Recommended age: 14 and up.

• Dante Alighieri Society website

Flavio del Ponte
Born in Cevio, Flavio del Ponte is an internationally recognized expert in humanitarian medicine. He served for 14 years as a war surgeon, working on multiple conflict fronts including Somalia, Rwanda, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Laos. In 1996, he was appointed by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs as medical adviser to the UN Secretariat in New York, where he worked in the Peacekeeping Departments.

He later transitioned to the field of development and cooperation, serving as chief medical adviser for Swiss humanitarian aid. His missions took him to numerous countries across the globe. In 2009, he contributed to training doctors operating in war zones and was one of the founding figures of the European Master’s Academy of Disaster Medicine in Geneva.

He is the author of Dissonanze (Dadò, Locarno, 2024), a volume that brings together reflections and stories from his extraordinary professional journey.

Supported by Fondazione Magna Charta and Fondazione cultura nel locarnese.