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Sierra Leone - Barriers to accessing health care 2022
Without adequate care, a child’s earliest years can be the most deadly in many low-resource countries.

The health risks for children are more severe the younger the child: as a global average, 85 per cent of childhood deaths occur in children less than five years old, but 47 per cent of those deaths are in the newborn period – the first 28 days of life.

Children under 15 years of age make up more than 60 per cent of patients in our projects, and many arrive in a critical condition or in the late stages of an illness. They are sick because they have not been adequately protected from disease or received appropriate treatment when they needed it. There are still many gaps in appropriate drugs, tools, protocols and staff for treating these young patients.

These are all factors why children under five in low- and middle-income countries continue to lose their lives to infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, and why newborns are failing to survive their first few days. This is also why older children face poor health long-term, if not death, due to chronic illnesses such as diabetes and epilepsy.

Quick facts about child health

Katiola program: Saving mothers and children’s life in Cote d’Ivoire

MSF Paediatric Days

paediatrics.msf.org

Paediatric Days is an event for paediatric field staff, policy makers and academics to exchange ideas, align efforts, inspire and share frontline research to advance urgent paediatric issues of direct concern for the humanitarian field. Paediatric Days focuses on paediatrics because in humanitarian settings, children are the most vulnerable group, with the highest risk of disease and mortality. Visit the Paediatric Days website to learn more.

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Measles Vaccination in Maniema, DRC
Democratic Republic of Congo

MSF staff treat measles cases across five provinces

Press Release 28 Apr 2017
 
Nigeria, Banki, March 2017
Nigeria

Testimonies of forced return

Voices from the Field 19 Apr 2017
 
Nigeria-Rann_March-2017
Nigeria

“Falling sick in Rann is almost a death sentence”

Voices from the Field 19 Apr 2017
 
Providing care to displaced communities, Tikrit district, Iraq.
Iraq

“We walked all night, staying away from roads for fear of being caught”

Project Update 11 Apr 2017
 
Journal article

Describing the toll of war on health in absentia

3 Apr 2017
Journal article
 
Zummar Maternity / IPD - March 2017
Iraq

Stabilising emergencies in a pocket of safety

Project Update 3 Apr 2017
 
Clinical trial of a new vaccine against Rotavirus in Maradi / Niger
Niger

Innovative vaccine could prevent thousands of child deaths from diarrhoea

Press Release 23 Mar 2017
 
Clinical trial of a new vaccine against Rotavirus in Maradi / Niger
Photo Story

Innovative vaccine against rotavirus

21 Mar 2017
Photo Story
 
Medical care on the frontline - North Syria
Photo Story

Bringing aid close to the frontline

8 Mar 2017
Photo Story
Advanced HIV management in Homa Bay
Medical Resource

MSF Field Research

We produce important research based on our field experience. So far, we have published articles in over 100 peer-reviewed journals. These articles have often changed clinical practice and have been used for humanitarian advocacy. All of these articles can be found on our dedicated Field Research website.

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