Skip to main content
7624 Results
 
msf-placeholder
Tuberculosis

How MSF teams treat TB patients

TB is difficult to treat. There is no single antibiotic that is capable of killing all the tubercle bacilli in a person's body. Apart from being hardy, TB germs can also develop resistance to drugs used against it. The only effective method is to use several different drugs combined together over a long period of time - usually a minimum of six months. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Measles

How measles kills

The rash of measles covers not only the skin but also the internal body surfaces of an affected child. This is what causes the complications of measles. The rash affects the intestines, and this leads to diarrhoea. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Measles

How MSF teams treat measles patients

MSF teams concentrate on treating the complications of measles. Chest infections, especially the most severe form known as pneumonia, are treated with antibiotics. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Malaria

How malaria kills

The Anopheles mosquito breeds in fresh water like ponds, puddles or slow-moving streams. So malaria tends to occur during the wet season. The female mosquito needs a blood feed in order to nourish her own eggs. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Malaria

How MSF teams treat malaria patients

The most dangerous form of malaria, the one caused by falciparum parasites, tends over time to develop resistance to antimalarial drugs.In a new emergency situation MSF teams will collaborate with local health authorities in determining which drugs are most appropriate for treating cases Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Cholera

How cholera kills

The germ Vibrio cholerae is excreted by a sufferer in the stools and vomit. It can then be spread directly to other people if they touch the patient and then fail to wash their hands before eating. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Cholera

How MSF teams treat cholera patients

Cholera is eminently treatable. The main pathological process it causes is dehydration - thus the treatment we use is simply to replace all the fluid being lost. MSF treats many patients using oral rehydration solution, called ORS. This is a mixture of glucose and electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) that comes in sachets. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Meningitis

How meningitis kills

The meningococcus resides in the nose or throat of health carriers - people who do not themselves fall sick because they have a measure of natural or acquired immunity. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Meningitis

How MSF teams treat meningitis patients

Meningitis should be diagnosed by a microscope examination of fluid taken from a patient during a lumbar puncture, which means inserting a needle into the spinal canal low on the back. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
 
msf-placeholder
Kenya

Nutritional emergency in Kenya

During the past three years, the district of Samburu - particularly the Baragoï zone - has been afflicted by a serious drought. Due to the scarcity of water and the loss of grazing land, MSF estimates that in this area populated primarily by herdsmen, 40% of the cattle have died. Project Update - 28 Sep 2000
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