The Greek government is using the coronavirus pandemic as a weak, discriminatory excuse to keep asylum seekers and migrants trapped on the islands in an extended lockdown. Project Update - 16 Jul 2020

The family of Ibrahim, 60-years-old, who live in Laylan camp.

"My name is Ibrahim. I am 60 years old and am living with a disability. I’m from the town of Abbasi in Hawija but have been displaced since ISIS attacked in 2017. First I moved to Haj Ali camp and then later to Laylan Camp. I got injured in the Iraq-Iran war.

"I’ve been living in Laylan camp for about a year. I have several children, some of them are married. We live as five in each tent. Each four tents use a joint bathroom.

"My first wife died because of the grief she felt for her son who died. I’m suffering from high blood pressure and my current wife has kidney disease. Last year our family lost a 5-month-old baby because of the cold. After that there was blanket distribution and kerosene for heating.
Two of my sons work so we can eat. They work outside of the camp as daily workers. One of these sons is married and has children of his own.

"With the curfew (imposed after corona), my sons are not able to find work. But we manage, we get some onions and tomatoes from here and there.

"Cleanliness in the camp depends on each family cleaning habits. A month ago, we were given us bars of soap but that’s not for cleaning toilets. For that we get no cleaning liquids. Also, the amount of soap is not enough for my big family. Now I cannot bathe."

Iraq

Displaced people are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 in Iraq

Over 1.3 million people are displaced in Iraq, with more than 300,000 living in camps across the country. The unhygienic living conditions in camps can exacerbate the spread of COVID-19.
Press Release - 14 Jul 2020

Greece

Vulnerable refugees evicted and left to sleep on streets

Refugees in Greece with severe health and mental health conditions are increasingly left on the streets without shelter, protection or proper healthcare. Press Release - 13 Jul 2020

Cameroon

Doctors Without Borders condemns the killing of a community health worker in South-West Cameroon

Statement - 11 Jul 2020

A patient receiving treatment lying in the male IPD room of the MSF-supported Sheikh Zayed COVID-19 center in Sana’a.

Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic

As COVID-19 spreads, fear drives people away from hospitals in Yemen

As COVID-19 spreads through Yemen, widespread fear of the coronavirus is preventing people from seeking medical care. MSF is supporting a new COVID-19 treatment centre in Sheikh Zayed hospital in the capital Sana’a. Press Release - 9 Jul 2020

“I used to make a living out of farming and selling small things” says Elida Howa. “Once I got sick in 2018, I was too weak to work. I hope I will be soon able to go back to farming.”

Malawi

Tackling a silent woman-killer in Malawi

Cervical cancer kills over 2,300 women in Malawi every year. This grim reality is the result of issues with vaccination and screening, as well as limitations in treatment. Since 2018, MSF has been working to fill the gap in Blantyre district, in the country’s south. Voices from the Field - 9 Jul 2020

"Emergency care has collapsed. We are witnessing hospitals can no longer receive patients who deserve emergency care” – Luis Romero, Field coordinator of MSF El Salvador.

El Salvador

People are dying at home amid collapsing health system in El Salvador

With the health system in El Salvador overwhelmed and close to collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic, MSF teams are seeing increased numbers of people dying at home, often of non-COVID-19 illnesses, or while waiting for ambulances to transport them to care. Project Update - 9 Jul 2020

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Nurses of the Ministry of Health receive training in Sangker operational district, ahead of the relaunch of the hepatitis C nursing activity pilot, where nurses will lead the care of hepatitis C patients.
In addition to skills related to hepatitis C, new measures around infection prevention control regarding COVID-19 are taught.

Until the end of June 2020, just 141 cases were confirmed in Cambodia, and a quarter of them originates from a European tourist group in March. The authorities were quick to implement thorough contact tracing and asked our teams to help with this. We’ve also contributed to the new IPC and clinical guidelines for Cambodia and developed training units. Subsequently, about 300 staff members of hospitals run by the Ministry of health received training. Given the difficulty of importing medical equipment, the team is now trying innovative approaches to develop oxygen ventilation systems by using commercially available diving masks and 3D-printing the necessary connectors in the country in anticipation of an outbreak of COVID-19 in Cambodia.

Cambodia

Innovation needed to respond to COVID-19 in Cambodia

So far, 141 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Cambodia. With the outbreak of the new coronavirus, MSF teams had to quickly halt regular hepatitis C activities to prevent patients from being infected with the virus during visits to the clinic. Project Update - 7 Jul 2020

Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation. Republican TB Dispensary. Zaurbek, 64, has been on treatment for XDR TB since July 2016. He was also diagnosed with Hepatitis C. At first he had severe side effects, but now his condition has improved considerably. He has been cured of hepatitis and his TB treatment is going well. He’s on a regimen containing two new TB drugs – Bedaquiline and Delamanid. ‘At first it was tough, I could hardly walk, was short of breath. Now I’m much better, I can go out. You can see me, I’m alive! I have 12 grandchildren, how can I leave them?’

Access to medicines

Governments must scale up better TB treatment as J&J drops crucial drug price

Pharma company J&J has announced that they've dropped the price of crucial DR-TB drug bedaquiline by nearly a third; but MSF says the price must come down further and access expanded. Press Release - 6 Jul 2020

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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Greek government must end lockdown for locked up people on Greek islands