Press release

Syria: Safety of wounded and medical workers must be prioritised

15 May 2012

Wounded people, medical workers and health care facilities remain targeted and threatened in parts of Syria, preventing people from receiving life-saving emergency medical care

Wounded people and medical workers remain targeted and threatened, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said today, following visits to parts of Syria. MSF insists that all parties to the conflict must fully respect the physical integrity of wounded people, doctors and healthcare facilities. MSF calls for increased political and diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety of patients and medical workers, without the use of force. MSF has been seeking official authorisation for several months to work with medical personnel in the Syrian governorates most affected by violence. To date, none of our efforts, either directly with Syrian...

New Global Vaccine Strategy Glosses Over Basic Immunisation Gaps

15 May 2012

Afghanistan: A young child receives a vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio

A new, ten-year, multi-billion dollar action plan for global vaccination may fail to deliver if it does not directly address the weaknesses in routine immunisation programmes. Nineteen million children are being missed each year and this challenge must be explicitly addressed, the medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said today. Afghanistan: A young child receives a vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio. Photo: Ton Kuene A ‘Global Vaccines Action Plan’ has been designed to implement the ‘Decade of Vaccines’ project and will be considered by Health Ministers gathering next week in...

Haiti unprepared in face of resurgent cholera

10 May 2012

Patients affected by cholera are receiving a treatment in one of the MSF Cholera Treatment Center located in the capital city, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Port-au-Prince – Cholera cases are on the rise in Haiti following the onset of the rainy season, and the country is not adequately prepared to combat the deadly disease, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said today. October 2011. Patients affected by cholera are receiving a treatment in one of the MSF Cholera Treatment Center located in the capital city, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Photo: Frederik Matte/MSF While Haiti’s Ministry of Health and Populations claims to be in control of the situation, health facilities in many regions of the country remain incapable of responding to the seasonal...

MSF: “Public health cannot be safeguarded through police-led health inspections and scaremongering”

27 April 2012

The involvement of public healthcare actors in police “sweep” operations is dangerous and contrary to medical ethics Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) opposes the police-style healthcare controls in the name of public health protection. “Public health cannot be promoted through police-led medical screenings and scaremongering about ‘ticking time bombs for public health’. It can be effectively safeguarded and promoted as long as the populations most in need have access to healthcare services and to effective public healthcare programs. It is promoted only when the medical needs of all social groups are met -people lacking health insurance, children, elderly, chronic patients...

Doctors Without Borders South Africa exhibition inspires solidarity and action to aid vulnerable migrants

02 May 2012

Solidarity for Survival exhibition

SOLIDARITY FOR SURVIVAL – Countries have borders – People Don’t! JOHANNESBURG – Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) South Africa opens a dynamic and thought provoking exhibition, titled Solidarity for Survival, on 10 May 2012. The exhibition brings attention on the plight of thousands of people who survive displacement and migration; and come to South Africa in the face of discrimination and healthcare exclusion. Solidarity for Survival portrays the plight of African nationals fleeing their home countries and is informed by what MSF has witnessed while providing emergency medical care. The exhibition seeks to provoke debate and to...

Massive Malaria Surge in DR Congo Requires Urgent Response

25 April 2012

Triple-fold Increase in Cases Since 2009 A massive increase in malaria cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is overwhelming existing treatment capacity, demanding a comprehensive and stepped-up response, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said today. DRC. Photo: Sandra Smiley/MSF MSF’s health centres and hospitals have observed a marked increase in malaria cases, including in its severe form. In six provinces (half of the vast country), the number of people treated for malaria in MSF projects has increased 250 percent since 2009, with the rise even more sharp in recent months....

Mauritania: Nearly one thousand Malian refugees pour into the Mbera camp every day

19 April 2012

Doctor treating malnourished child, Mbera camp.

Since late January, some 57,000 Malians have entered the Mbera refugee camp in Mauritania. Refugee numbers are steadily increasing, from 200 arrivals on April 5 to 1,500 a day. In response to this massive influx, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is bolstering its activities and emergency medical aid in this desert area, where access to medical care is extremely limited. Doctor treating malnourished child, Mbera camp. Photo: Francois Talla/MSF Fighting between the Malian army, Tuareg mouvement and other armed groups is forcing thousands of people to flee to Fassala, Mauritania, located 3 kilometers from the Malian border. “The presence of armed...

Afghanistan: MSF Condemns Attacks on Medical Facility and Suspends Activities in Khost

17 April 2012

Kabul, April 17,2012 – Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has suspended medical activities in the recently opened maternity hospital in Khost province after an explosion took place inside the hospital compound this morning. Seven people were injured, including one child. "The suspension will continue until we receive assurances from the actors controlling those areas that medical activities can take place unhindered, and that the security of patients, medical staff and health facilities will be respected as previously agreed” said Renzo Fricke, Country Representative for MSF in Afghanistan. Patients currently under care will be referred to the maternity in Khost...

Bahrain: Despite Reforms Access to Healthcare Still a Concern

12 April 2012

As Bahrain implements reforms following protests that started last year, a significant number of patients – from all political and religious backgrounds - continue to avoid seeking medical care in public hospitals due to perceived discrimination, harassment, and ill treatment, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said today. In particular, according to information shared with MSF, a sizable number of people injured during political demonstrations and suffering from mild to severe orthopedic injuries, skin lacerations and respiratory distress—resort to private healthcare because of fear of arrest in public hospitals. The fear among those seeking care remains despite...

Chad faces twin emergencies of acute malnutrition and meningitis

28 March 2012

Chad. MSF staff carrying out a meningitis vaccination campaign using the MenAfriVac vaccine, which protects for far longer than other meningitis vaccines

Immediate response needed to save lives and prevent deeper health crisis, says MSF N’Djamena - Severe acute malnutrition in parts of Chad’s Sahel belt has reached emergency levels and requires immediate life-saving intervention, according to the humanitarian agency Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). In addition, an urgent response is also needed now to contain an expanding meningitis outbreak. Chad: MSF staff carrying out a meningitis vaccination campaign in December 2011, using the MenAfriVac vaccine, which protects for far longer than other meningitis vaccines. Photo: Marja Scholten “Now we can see clearly that, in some parts of Chad, there are already very alarming rates of malnutrition among...

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