“The ambulance boat is important,” says Mut, an MSF staff working in South Sudan, as it approaches the Old Fangak shoreline. “Before this system, people used to die because there was no transportation to the hospital.” (...)“We are lucky here to have access to healthcare.” Voices from the Field - 25 Aug 2015

Niger

Influx of Nigerian refugees in the Diffa region continues

"The families fled Nigeria in May, leaving everything behind while Boko Haram reduced their village to ashes. The refugees are now entirely dependent on humanitarian aid. While they have quickly built huts, and some have received plastic tarpaulins and other essential supplies, most do not have access to drinking water, and the hygiene conditions are appalling," says Ahmad Samro, MSF's Project Manager, about the situation in Diffa. Voices from the Field - 20 Aug 2015

South Sudan

Severe malaria season - Testimonies from malaria patients & family

“The state Ministry of Health has created a malaria task force to improve coordination,” says Adbi Fatah Mohammed, MSF’s outreach manager. “But capacity is a serious problem and there is a risk of running out of drugs later in the season.” Large spikes in malaria across South Sudan are raising the possibility of a second consecutive season marked by exceptionally high numbers of malaria cases and preventable deaths unless urgent action is taken to reinforce access to treatment in the most high-risk areas. Voices from the Field - 14 Aug 2015

South Sudan

Health risks increasing for people in Bentiu Protection of Civilian Camp

“The current situation is precarious, with new arrivals coming every day to the UN Protection of Civilians camp in Bentiu in search of shelter and protection. The upsurge of fighting in Unity state since April has forced many from their homes and an estimated 110,000 displaced people are now living here. That’s more than double the number of people here a few months ago and it feels more like a city than a camp," says Dr Ruby Siddiqui, MSF's epidemiologist. "There is a real risk of an outbreak of hepatitis E virus. Although there have been sporadic cases of hepatitis E virus detected since October 2014, over the last six weeks there appears to have been a consistent and significant increase in people with jaundice (signs of liver inflammation) who have later tested positive for hepatitis E by rapid diagnostic testing. Currently MSF is seeing a high hospitalisation ratio (37.0%) and a high case fatality ratio (4.0%)." Voices from the Field - 3 Aug 2015

Volunteer Ebola frontline worker receiving the experimental vaccine at the vaccination clinic, inside Donka Hospital compound, Conakry.

Ebola and haemorrhagic fevers

Getting closer to an Ebola vaccine

"The current data basically tells us that the vaccine works to protect people against Ebola. Even if the sample size is quite small and more research and analysis is needed, the enormity of the public health emergency should lead us to continue using this vaccine right now to protect those who might get exposed to the disease: contacts of infected patients and frontline workers," says Bertrand Draguez, MSF Medical Director. " But it is also of crucial importance to keep working on all the pillars of an Ebola response including contact tracing, health promotion and isolation of infected patients." Voices from the Field - 31 Jul 2015

Kenya

The cholera test and why the Kenyan health system has failed

"Over 128 and 30 suspected new cases of cholera have been reported in Migori and Kisumu counties respectively in the past one week. This is amidst a number of political declarations across many counties that the cholera outbreak is over. To me this is one of the strongest attestations to the lack of clear coordination in outbreak response within the devolved framework. If such an approach is aimed at downplaying the outbreak in order to save face then it is a recipe for disaster and the short rains expected in September are only likely to make things worse," says Dr Stephen Wanjala, Deputy Medical Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières in Kenya. Voices from the Field - 27 Jul 2015

Malawi

Detained for having a dream

Built to accommodate 800 prisoners, Maula prison is bursting at the seams with 2,650 inmates. Amongst this desperate population, the most vulnerable are the nearly 300 undocumented migrants who were arrested as they travelled towards South Africa. Voices from the Field - 24 Jul 2015

Nigeria

“Our team is working all the time, because IDPs arrive every week.”

“None of the hospitals outside of Maiduguri and Biu are currently functioning. And most of them were completely destroyed with bombs. Those that weren’t destroyed were looted,” says Dr. Faisal Ga'al, MSF project coordinator in Maiduguri. “This is now the first stage of the crisis in Borno state, but the gaps will be huge when people start going back to their homes. They will need emergency support for some time. They are going back to zero – there is no means for people to make a living in the area.” Voices from the Field - 23 Jul 2015

Ethiopia

A tale of a desperate midwife

“Had these mothers arrived in good time, we would have saved their lives and their children’s. I feel very sad to see women die from avoidable conditions just because of lack of awareness,” said Aisha Akello, MSF midwife. “It’s heart-breaking, and sometimes I stay up at night, just contemplating what has happened and pondering ways to find a solution to prevent these avoidable maternal deaths.” Voices from the Field - 23 Jul 2015

South Sudan

Patient tells of cholera recovery at new MSF Cholera Treatment Centre in Juba

“I’m happy because of the care and treatment I received here. I’m now feeling better, not like when I arrived. I would like to tell people suffering from cholera that there is an MSF centre in Munuki which provides care, support and food.” says Madeleine, one of the first patients admitted to MSF's newly built Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) in Munuki, Juba. Voices from the Field - 22 Jul 2015

Four mothers posing in a corridor of the Hospital in Bili. All four of them are staying in the hospital with their child, that's suffering from a severe case of malaria. Since the beginning of the project in 2016, the pediatric ward already treated more than 4.000 cases of complicated/severe form of malaria.

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.

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Boat ambulance reaches patients in remote communities into northern Jonglei State

Influx of Nigerian refugees in the Diffa region continues

Severe malaria season - Testimonies from malaria patients & family

Health risks increasing for people in Bentiu Protection of Civilian Camp

Getting closer to an Ebola vaccine

The cholera test and why the Kenyan health system has failed

Detained for having a dream

“Our team is working all the time, because IDPs arrive every week.”

A tale of a desperate midwife

Patient tells of cholera recovery at new MSF Cholera Treatment Centre in Juba

Independent medical humanitarian assistance

79%

79%

16%

16%

5%

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