In more than 70 countries, Médecins Sans Frontières provides medical humanitarian assistance to save lives and ease the suffering of people in crisis situations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This logistical and supply centre in Brussels provides storage of and delivers medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.
This supply and logistics centre in Bordeaux, France, provides warehousing and delivery of medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.
This logistical centre in Amsterdam purchases, tests, and stores equipment including vehicles, communications material, power supplies, water-processing facilities and nutritional supplements.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) unit coordinates field research projects and operational research training, and provides support for documentation activities and routine data collection.
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.
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.
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.
Noma is a preventable and treatable neglected disease, but 90 per cent of people will die within the first two weeks of infection if they do not receive treatment.
This page is no longer being maintained and was last updated in January 2022.
Armed conflict has forced over 2.5 million people to flee their homes across the Lake Chad Basin. Violence and multiple forced displacement have destroyed what ability people had to support themselves.
The conflict between military forces and non-state armed groups in the Lake Chad region broke out in northeast Nigeria in 2009. It has since spread into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, creating one of the largest humanitarian crises in Africa.
Many of the displaced have found refuge in host communities, putting a huge strain on a region already suffering from poverty, food insecurity, recurrent disease outbreaks and weak health systems.
MSF teams have responded to the high humanitarian needs caused by the conflict in the region.
Niger
Influx of Nigerian refugees in the Diffa region continues
Voices from the Field20 Aug 2015
Cameroon
Tens of thousands flee Boko Haram violence
Project Update20 Aug 2015
Lake Chad Crisis
Lake Chad: Populations fleeing Boko Haram violence
Crisis Update20 Aug 2015
Photo Story
Around Lake Chad: People living in fear
1 Jul 2015
Photo Story
Nigeria
1200 Nigerian refugees flee fighting in Lake Chad and return to Nigeria
Crisis Update12 May 2015
Nigeria
MSF assists survivors of deadly Boko Haram attack
Project Update13 Jan 2015
Research & Analysis
Nigeria
Case Study on humanitarian response in North-east Nigeria
Emergency Gap.1 Apr 2017
Lake Chad Crisis
Lake Chad: Years of Forgotten Crisis
Medium.com31 Oct 2016
Photo Story
Around Lake Chad: People living in fear
1 Jul 2015
Photo Story
Related topics
Africa
Nigeria
Continued violence and armed conflict in Nigeria’s Borno state has uprooted more than two million people.
1,203,600
outpatient consultations
409,600
malaria cases treated
193,900
admissions of children to outpatient feeding programmes
154,600
people admitted to hospital
52,500
children admitted to inpatient feeding programmes
30,200
births assisted
16,400
people treated for measles
14,400
individual mental health consultations
Africa
Niger
Niger is affected by violence and people displacements around its border regions.
1,012,700
outpatient consultations
410,200
malaria cases treated
132,800
people admitted to hospital, including 93,600 children aged under five
49,700
children admitted to outpatient feeding programmes
Africa
Cameroon
MSF is working in the Far North and Centre regions of Cameroon.
96,200
outpatient consultations
21,500
malaria cases treated
1,800
people treated for cholera
510
surgical interventions
Africa
Chad
Since 2015, thousands of people in the Lake Chad region have been forced to flee their homes as a result of violent clashes between armed groups and Chadian military forces.
173.2M
litres of water distributed
1,358,900
vaccinations against measles in response to an outbreak
63,100
admissions of children to outpatient feeding programmes
29,700
patients admitted to hospital
Crisis Settings
Refugees, IDPs and people on the move
There are many reasons for flight, including war, persecution, conflict, natural disaster, destitution and repression. With health and well-being jeopardised, the lives of the most vulnerable can be at risk.
Crisis Settings
War and conflict
More than one third of our humanitarian and medical assistance is for people affected by armed conflict.
Medical activities
Malnutrition
More than 224 million children around the world last year suffered from malnutrition. It is the underlying contributing factor in nearly half of the deaths of children under five years of age.
Up Next
Over 10 million people heavily dependent on aid for survival
