During the 1990s, MSF teams made a bitter observation: we were failing to treat some of our patients suffering from infectious diseases, while in developed countries, remarkable progress was being made in the field of health. Two decades on, medicines in developing countries are still either too expensive, aren't suitable to be used in many of the contexts in which we work (for example, in hot, humid conditions or where there's a lack of electricity), or simply don't exist for the diseases we need to treat.
In 1999, we launched the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, now known as the Access Campaign. Its mission focuses on three areas: overcoming barriers to access to essential medicines, stimulating research and development for neglected diseases, promoting health exceptions to global trade agreements.
In 2003, MSF joined several research institutes, including the Institut Pasteur, to create the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit research and development organisation engaged in research and development of new treatments for neglected diseases.
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Combating tropical diseases: What is still missing
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Ten Stories that Mattered in Access to Medicines in 2011
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Response to President Obama's HIV/AIDS speech: 'Now it is time for all governments to step up'
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MSF pays tribute to the people fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa and launches 'Positive Generation: Voices for an AIDS-free future'
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The thinnest of lifelines: An interview with Dr. Unni Karunakara on MSF's response to the funding crisis at the Global Fund
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10 Years of Antiretrovirals: Treatment in Malawi by MSF
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The reduction of activities may have dramatic consequences on refugees in Dadaab
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MSF response to Global Fund Board meeting
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