slideshow: No Choice: Thousands risk death crossing Gulf of Aden
Chagas: it's time to break the silence
Millions of people are infected with Chagas disease yet they do not know.
They can die in silence, without asking for help, without knowing why. An MSF specialty site focusing on Chagas
More than four weeks since its first response to the floods that overwhelmed Pakistan, MSF continues to scale up its activities in the flood-affected areas, while also preparing to expand its scope to include new locations where the floods have left thousands cut off from assistance they vitally need.
When torrential rains and floods hit north-western Pakistan almost three weeks ago, Swat Valley was not spared as huge concrete bridges, roads and buildings were flushed away by massive flows of water. The immediate impact of the sheer destruction and death has now been replaced by other worries like waterborne diseases.
SLIDE SHOW: Pakistan floods food distribution
Slideshow, featuring photos by Ton Koene and interviews with MSF logistician and the landlord in Pakistan that hosted a non-food items distribution. Find out more...
In the aftermath of this disaster, millions are now left without safe water, food, shelter or medicine. Despite the growing risk of diarrheal diseases like cholera, which is endemic in some parts of the country like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, help is still not arriving fast enough - particularly clean drinking water. However, it is not only international aid that will meet these needs. Solidarity amongst affected communities and from local organizations has meant that a huge amount of assistance has already been provided to meet some of the most acute needs. Still much more needs to be done.
In the aftermath of any disaster suddenly hitting a population, the immediate impact in terms of deaths and injuries is often followed by other health risks that can be linked to difficult living conditions, lack of hygiene and restricted access to clean water and basic health care services. The recent Pakistan floods are no exception; presently, MSF and others are working hard to avoid outbreaks of disease and to provide essential health care to a population in need.
“Some of the most vulnerable people are the migrants in Mumbai who work in construction labour. They often sleep close to construction sites where there is a lot of stagnant water following the heavy rains," said Tiago Dal Molin.
Flash floods in Leh have caused widespread destruction and many homes been swept away. An estimated 25,000 people are affected, with 150 deaths and hundreds missing. MSF is providing urgently needed medical and humanitarian assistance to people in the worst affected villages.
The annual MSF publication covering all our work worldwide. This report refers to activities throughout 2009.
For Médecins Sans Frontières, an organisation that has specialised in responding to emergencies as well as working in fragile and unpredictable contexts, no two years are the same. There is of course the ongoing work carried out by our thousands of staff around the world, who provide healthcare where it’s lacking and deal with diseases that continue to take a high toll on populations. But over and beyond the more constant medical activity, each year brings new challenges to our organisation.
Two worrying developments stand out for 2009: the dwindling commitment of donor bodies for continuing the battle against HIV/ AIDS and a sharp increase of security incidents that affect our ability to bring assistance. In 2009, we started looking closely at the funding for HIV/AIDS in eight African countries. A clear pattern is starting to show of donor backtracking on earlier, widely publicised commitments to scale up the fight against the epidemic.
The effects on availability and level of care for those infected are becoming clear in countries where we work. In some countries where infection rates for HIV/AIDS are high, patients are turned away from clinics, and clinicians are once again being forced into the unacceptable position of rationing life-saving treatment. MSF will emphasise the unacceptable nature of this withdrawal in appropriate private and public forums throughout 2010.
Five weeks after violent clashes erupted in the south of Kyrgyzstan and despite an apparent return to a more peaceful situation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) doctors, psychologists and nurses continue to deal with cases of violence on a daily basis. More concerning still, the capacity of victims to receive adequate health care differs according to the community they belong. “In such a tense and volatile context, we call on all responsible authorities to preserve the neutrality of medical facilities. It is essential that any patient who needs care can receive adequate treatment, regardless of their origin,” said Bruno Jochum, Director of Operations for MSF.
MSF increases its medical and humanitarian support in southern Kyrgyzstan
MSF have emergency medicine programs in many countries across the world and dedicated to offering high quality emergency care to these populations. Our programs include: pre-hospital services, emergency departments and mass casualty management planning. Find out more...
Emergency anaesthetists, surgeons and gynaecologists needed
We offer fulltime contracts for one month (gynaecologists and anaesthetists) or eight weeks (surgeons). Find out more...
MSF Financial Reports
MSF is pleased to present its audited combined Financial Statements.
MSF launches bilingual website about its work assisting Somalis
“Communication is a vital part of MSF’s operations,” explained Information Officer Ahmed Dahir Noor. “This site is part of an ongoing process to engage with Somalis both in and outside of Somalia and ensure that we are transparent.”
Rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries in Sri Lanka
For more than two decades, the people of Sri Lanka have lived with violence and conflict. Since the end of the war last year, people are gradually returning to their homes and trying to rebuild their lives. Pete Masters visited MSF’s projects in northern Sri Lanka and reports back here to supporters on how funds are being used. He was particularly struck by MSF’s innovative specialist rehabilitation programme for people with spinal cord injuries sustained during the conflict.
MSF increases capacity in response to kala azar outbreak in South Sudan
The explanation for this early outbreak of the tropical disease is complex. "The last big outbreak of the disease was eight years ago," said Koert Ritmeijer. ‘And as a result there is a whole new generation that has not built up immunity against the disease."
Donors gambling with patients’ lives by retreating from AIDS funding
Short-sighted savings measures ignore latest science, will cost more lives Find out more...
Starved for Attention: A Radical New Vision Of Malnutrition
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the VII Photo agency have launched “Starved for Attention,” a global multimedia campaign presenting a unique and new perspective of childhood malnutrition, a preventable and treatable condition that nonetheless claims the lives of millions of children each year. The campaign launch coincides with the onset of a particularly harsh “hunger gap” season in Africa’s Sahel region, the period when staple food crops run out before the next harvest and malnutrition typically increases.
The collaboration challenges established notions of malnutrition through a seven-part mini-documentary series that will be released over a seven-week period beginning today at: www.starvedforattention.org
Giulio di Sturco / VII
A daily photo blog focusing on MSF field activities, with emphasis on the particularly creative, arresting and visually engaging images. See more...
© Ton Koene: MSF water distribution around villages near Charsadda, Pakistan.
