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About us

Who We Are

Learn about our mission, our charter and principles, and who we are.

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How we work

See what triggers an intervention and how supply and logistics allow our teams to respond quickly.

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How we're run

Discover our governance and what it means to be an association. Find a quick visual guide to our offices around the world.

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Reports and financials

Read through our annual financial and activity reports, and find out about where our funds come from and how they are spent.

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What we do

Médecins Sans Frontières brings medical humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict, natural disasters, epidemics or healthcare exclusion.

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Where we work

In more than 70 countries, Médecins Sans Frontières provides medical humanitarian assistance to save lives and ease the suffering of people in crisis situations.

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MSF Websites

A Global Network
Our offices around the world
Our offices around the world
Other Sites
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MSF Association

Our staff “own” and manage MSF, making sure that we stay true to our mission and principles, through the MSF Associations.

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Access Campaign

We set up the MSF Access Campaign in 1999 to push for access to, and the development of, life-saving and life-prolonging medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines for people in our programmes and beyond.

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Patient blogs

Hear directly from the inspirational people we help as they talk about their experiences dealing with often neglected, life-threatening diseases.

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CRASH

Based in Paris, CRASH conducts and directs studies and analysis of MSF actions. They participate in internal training sessions and assessment missions in the field.

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UREPH

Based in Geneva, UREPH (or Research Unit) aims to improve the way MSF projects are implemented in the field and to participate in critical thinking on humanitarian and medical action.

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ARHP

Based in Barcelona, ARHP documents and reflects on the operational challenges and dilemmas faced by the MSF field teams.

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MSF Analysis

Based in Brussels, MSF Analysis intends to stimulate reflection and debate on humanitarian topics organised around the themes of migration, refugees, aid access, health policy and the environment in which aid operates.

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MSF Supply

This logistical and supply centre in Brussels provides storage of and delivers medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

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MSF Logistique

This supply and logistics centre in Bordeaux, France, provides warehousing and delivery of medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

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Amsterdam Procurement Unit

This logistical centre in Amsterdam purchases, tests, and stores equipment including vehicles, communications material, power supplies, water-processing facilities and nutritional supplements.

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Southern Africa Medical Unit

SAMU provides strategic, clinical and implementation support to various MSF projects with medical activities related to HIV and TB. This medical unit is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Brazilian Medical Unit

BRAMU specialises in neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue and Chagas, and other infectious diseases. This medical unit is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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MSF Medical Guidelines

Our medical guidelines are based on scientific data collected from MSF’s experiences, the World Health Organization (WHO), other renowned international medical institutions, and medical and scientific journals.

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Manson Unit

The Manson Unit is a London, UK-based team of medical specialists who provide medical and technical support, and conduct research for MSF.

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Epicentre

Providing epidemiological expertise to underpin our operations, conducting research and training to support our goal of providing medical aid in areas where people are affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or excluded from health care.

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Evaluation Units

Evaluation Units have been established in Vienna, Stockholm, and Paris, assessing the potential and limitations of medical humanitarian action, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of our medical humanitarian work.

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LGBTQI+ Inclusion in Health Settings

MSF works with LGBTQI+ populations in many settings over the last 25-30 years. LGBTQI+ people face healthcare disparities with limited access to care and higher disease rates than the general population.

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LUXOR

The Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) unit coordinates field research projects and operational research training, and provides support for documentation activities and routine data collection.

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MSF Academy for Healthcare

To upskill and provide training to locally-hired MSF staff in several countries, MSF has created the MSF Academy for Healthcare.

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Humanitarian Law

This Guide explains the terms, concepts, and rules of humanitarian law in accessible and reader-friendly alphabetical entries.

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MSF Paediatric Days

The MSF Paediatric Days is an event for paediatric field staff, policy makers and academia to exchange ideas, align efforts, inspire and share frontline research to advance urgent paediatric issues of direct concern for the humanitarian field.

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MSF Foundation

The MSF Foundation aims to create a fertile arena for logistics and medical knowledge-sharing to meet the needs of MSF and the humanitarian sector as a whole.

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DNDi

A collaborative, patients’ needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development organisation that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases, founded in 2003 by seven organisations from around the world.

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International General Assembly 2014
Associative History 1971-2011

MSF, Evolution of an International Movement

MSF Associative History 1971-2011

This e-book series takes you on a journey of MSF's international associative history, from its inception in Paris in the early 70's, to becoming an international medical humanitarian movement.

Learn more about those 4 decades of MSF History. 

This e-book is available for free for a non-commercial use. Download it as a PDF (7 Mo), epub (for tablets and smartphones, 1Mo) or on Google play.

 

Additional materials

 

Charter, principles and governance

 
International General Assembly 2014
About MSF

MSF Associative History: 1971 - 2011 (PDF, 7Mo)

msf.org 1 Feb 2019

1971

Creation of MSF France

The founding of MSF

MSF Belgium

1980

Creation of MSF Belgium

MSF Switzerland

1981

Creation of MSF Switzerland

MSF Holland

1984

Creation of MSF Holland

MSF Spain

1986

Creation of MSF Spain and MSF Luxembourg

MSF USA

1987

Creation of MSF USA

MSF Greece

1990

Creation of MSF Greece

MSF USA

1991

Creation of MSF Canada

1991

Creation of MSF International, the International Council and the International Office

MSF Japan & MSF Sweden

1992

Creation of MSF Japan and Sweden

MSF Italy, MSF UK, MSF Denmark

1993

Creation of MSF Italy, United-Kindgom and Denmark

Creation of MSF Germany, Hong-Kong, Australia and Austria

1994

Creation of MSF Germany, Hong-Kong, Australia and Austria

Royaumont Meeting

1994

Royaumont Meeting

International discussion on the movement operational diverging approaches

Chantilly Meetings

1995

Chantilly Meetings

Associative and executive members from MSF associations produce a common set of principles and policies to complete the charter

MSF Norway

1996

Creation of MSF Norway

Reform of the international structure

1997

Reform of the International structure

19 MSF sections backed by 19 associations - 19 Presidents form the International Council chaired by a full time President.

1999

Nobel peace Prize awarded to MSF

Exclusion of MSF Greece from the MSF movement

2000

Exclusion of MSF Greece from the MSF movement

International council resolution asking for efficient treatments for hiv/aids, malaria, sleeping sickness to be rapidly diffused and implemented in the field

2001

International council resolution asking for efficient treatments for hiv/aids, malaria, sleeping sickness to be rapidly diffused and implemented in the field

DNDi

Jun 2002

International council resolution supporting creation of DNDi

Altafulla Meeting

Sep 2002

Altafulla Meeting

Discussion on the need to revise and complete vision set out in the Chantilly principles

MSF and its unhealthy growth

Oct 2002

“MSF and its unhealthy growth” by Morten Rostrup, MSF International council president

International council resolution on reproductive health care and abortion in MSF programs

2004

International council resolution on reproductive health care and abortion in MSF programs

2005

Reintegration of MSF Greece in the International movement

Launch of la Mancha Process

2005

Launch of la Mancha Process

International council resolution on abusive behaviors

Nov 2005

International council resolution on abusive behaviors

First audited international accounts (for 2004)

Nov 2005

First audited international accounts (for 2004)

Mar 2006

La Mancha conference

La Mancha agreement

Jun 2006

La Mancha agreement

2009

MSF governance reform kick off meeting

Castelldefels conference

2010

Castelldefels conference

International discussion on MSF governance reform

First MSF International General Assembly

2011

First MSF International General Assembly

Associative engagement and participation among MSF staff and members.
video

Associative engagement and participation among MSF staff and members.

What are MSF associations?

Our actions are guided by medical ethics

Through MSF associations, members voice their opinions and contribute to the definition and implementation of MSF’s social mission. The associations safeguard the identity of MSF, ensuring that activities and operations stay true to MSF’s Charter, principles and social mission.

Find out more about how MSF is run

Write to the team

This eBook was written at the request of the MSF International Board.

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