en ع
Back to main menu

About us

Who We Are

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

Learn more
How we work

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

Learn more
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.

Learn more
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.

Learn more

What we do

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

View all topics Activities by country

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.

View all countries

MSF Websites

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

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

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
Patient blogs

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

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
ARHP

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

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
Humanitarian Law

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

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
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.

GO TO SITE
750 Results For "respiratory"
 
Refugee crisis South Sudan, Upper Nile State, Batil and Doro.
South Sudan

'I have never seen anything like this before'

Helen Ottens-Patterson, from the United Kingdom, is a nurse MSF medical coordinator in Maban county in Upper Nile state, South Sudan. MSF is the largest provider of emergency medical care for the more than 110,000 refugees that have fled fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile state. In Batil refugee camp, one of four camps in the county, a recent survey carried out by MSF showed that the mortality rate for children under five years old was more than double the emergency threshold. Here, Helen shares her experience in providing care for this particularly vulnerable group of people. Voices from the Field - 22 Aug 2012
 
Yida, Refugee Camp
South Sudan

Health catastrophe continues in refugee camps

Many of the refugees from Sudan’s Blue Nile State who have fled to Maban County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State had family members who could not complete the journey and died before they reached Batil camp. In some cases, they said their relatives died because they were “tired of walking,” which illustrates the weakened, vulnerable state in which much of this population arrived at the camp. Project Update - 18 Aug 2012
 
NS_SS_220712_Refugees0730.CR2
South Sudan

Catastrophic health situation in refugee camps

New epidemiological data from two refugee camps in South Sudan show mortality and malnutrition rates well above emergency thresholds. More than 170,000 refugees have crossed the border to escape conflict in Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. Since June, an average of five children are dying each day in Yida camp and one in three children is malnourished in Batil camp. Press Release - 2 Aug 2012
 
msf-placeholder
South Sudan

'What we are facing is an extremely serious situation'

About 100,000 refugees fleeing the fighting in the Sudanese state of Blue Nile have taken refuge in Maban county in South Sudan. In the camp of Batil, home to 34,000 people, the number of children with malnutrition is increasing but humanitarian response remains inadequate. John Tzanos, MSF emergency coordinator in the region, provides an update. Voices from the Field - 26 Jul 2012
 
msf-placeholder
Pakistan

MSF operates in the heart of the tribal areas

The situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) was particularly unstable in 2010 and early 2011. Spikes of violence, isolation, closure of supply routes, and the near-collapse of the health system created obstacles to obtaining medical care. MSF has been working in Kurram Agency since 2004, supporting the hospitals in Alizai (a Shiite community) and Sadda (a Sunni enclave) since May 2006 and is trying to meet the populations' medical needs. Project Update - 20 Jul 2012
 
msf-placeholder
South Sudan

Jamam refugee camp under water

Mortality rates are exceeding emergency thresholds in a refugee camp in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, currently home to a quarter of roughly 120,000 refugees who have fled Sudan’s Blue Nile state since late last year. The onset of heavy seasonal rains flooded the camps and gravely expanded the risk of illness for the already weakened refugees. MSF warns of worsening crisis in the camps. Press Release - 5 Jul 2012
 
msf-placeholder
South Sudan

Water remains the biggest concern

An MSF medical coordinator recounts how MSF teams have been moving alongside a large influx of around 35,000 refugees who crossed the border from Sudan’s Blue Nile state in May - June, supporting them with medical care, clean water and shelter on their journey to the Jamam camp. The teams face many challenges as they try to provide assistance in an inhospitable place. Voices from the Field - 3 Jul 2012
 
msf-placeholder
Central African Republic

Child death rate alarmingly high

An “alarmingly high” number of children under the age of five are dying in parts of Central African Republic, according to the findings of a new mortality survey conducted by MSF. A principal reason is the absence of easily accessible healthcare, with 60 per cent of under-fives dying at home and 13 per cent on the journey to hospital. Project Update - 3 Jul 2012
 
msf-placeholder
Greece

MSF runs a malaria project

The outbreak of malaria after almost 40 years of absence in Greece led to the decision for a comprehensive response from MSF. MSF has started implementing projects contributing to the prevention, epidemiological surveillance, clinical management, laboratory diagnosis and vector control of the disease in Laconia, Pelopponesus (south of Greece). Statement - 28 Jun 2012
 
msf-placeholder
Mali

Refugees in vulnerable situation

A political crisis has divided Mali since the end of January 2012. Fear of being caught in the cross-fire, insecurity and the food crisis have driven more than 300,000 Malians to flee the country for neighboring nations. MSF is responding to the growing humanitarian need in the region, providing assistance to refugees as well as to local people. Project Update - 27 Jun 2012
Cholera intervention in South Kivu
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Independent medical humanitarian assistance

We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - most of them hired locally. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of independence and impartiality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.

Learn more