Rapid and effective response to emergencies is at the core of our work. If death rates soar in a community in just a few weeks, the main challenge is to save as many lives as possible in as short a time. MSF stocks pre-prepared kits so that teams can offer rapid lifesaving assistance - from surgical kits, inflatable hospitals to cholera treatment kits. Our financial reserves for emergencies means we can provide assistance quickly, when and where there is urgent need.

We continuously look to evolve and improve our medical practice. Medical guidelines for our teams are published in multiple languages and are regularly updated to build on best practices. Our medical innovation has led to significant improvements in the care delivered to people in crisis, even beyond MSF. For example, changes to drug regimens to treat malaria and tuberculosis, the creation of cholera and Ebola treatment centres for epidemic response, decentralising care for HIV to the community, or the use of ready-to-use-foods to tackle malnutrition.

We are able to treat millions of patients each year because our work is underpinned by a solid network of supply and logistics. This network is run on the basis that MSF staff should always have exactly the right materials for the job at hand – whether in acute emergencies when supplies might be needed within 24 hours, or in long-running programmes, where a steady supply of equipment and medicines is vital.

When a crisis hits, MSF staff already in the area will mobilise to provide assistance. More staff from the region or further abroad are sent if needed. In addition to medical staff, our teams include logisticians, water and sanitation specialists, and administrators, among others. In some countries, we have established emergency units which can be rapidly sent to areas to respond, such as in Democratic Republic of Congo.

We attach the utmost importance to the quality of medicines used to treat patients. We strongly consider that any patient wherever he or she lives has the right to be treated with effective and safe medical products. We validate our medical supplies following a strict qualification scheme based on international quality standards.

Our medical care is based on needs alone, independent of political, economic or other interests. On the ground, our teams are in constant dialogue with communities, local authorities, and armed groups, to facilitate access and delivery of the best possible medical care for patients and their communities. We do our utmost to minimise the risk for our teams through this constant dialogue and through the usefulness and quality of the assistance we provide.

MSF sponsors or takes part in research projects in our programmes, the results of some of which have had substantial impact on global health policy and benefited people served by MSF and beyond. Research has become increasingly integral to our activities, and we pay special attention to the ethical issues arising from the research in which we engage. This led to the creation of an independent ethics review board in which today evaluates all research proposals involving MSF.