As measles sweeps across Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), more than one million children have been vaccinated against the disease in a nine-month campaign by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), supporting the Ministry of Health. Voices from the Field - 28 Jul 2017

Nsanje, Malawi: Chrissy, 37 years, a mother of three was referred to Nsanje district hospital with late stage AIDS. She couldn’t talk or walk but is feeling better now. She has been on antiretrovirals for five years.
In hospitals and communities across sub-Saharan Africa, people continue to die of AIDS, despite antiretroviral treatment being more widely available than ever. In Nsanje district hospital, HIV still accounts for 26% of all admissions and 54% of all deaths.

HIV/AIDS

MSF concerned by high numbers of AIDS deaths in sub-Saharan Africa

“People are still being diagnosed late... they arrive at hospital in an often fatal condition, or die at home without ever receiving care.” Press Release - 25 Jul 2017

Portrait of Karon, 31 Years old from Iraq

Karon, his wife and their two twins are blocked in Lesvos since their arrival on August 2nd 2016.

Their dream was to reach the Island to start a new life.

“What I have seen in Iraq, I do not want my children to see it again. This is why we left our country, where everything is paralyzed, everything stopped, there is no life…My true dream is that my children will live in a beautiful country, without war, without bloodshed, without any of this. This is the only thing I wish for.”

Greece

A dramatic deterioration for asylum seekers on Lesbos

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has released a new report highlighting the drastic deterioration of the care and protection for vulnerable people in Lesbos, Greece, who have fled from violence and wars in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and further afield. Report - 24 Jul 2017

Ana Daniella aged 18, has come to the MSF mobile unit in Reynosa for psychiatric treatment due to suffering from paternal violence. This is her second visit and she has returned after having a really successful first visit. She say she's already feeling much better.

Mexico

“One in four patients we assist has experienced violence”

“The medical team is focusing on providing mental healthcare for victims of physical or sexual violence” Project Update - 24 Jul 2017

WINNIE ATIENO IS 25. SHE WAS TESTED FOR HIV IN 2015 AND PUT ON MEDICATION. SHE HAS BEEN GOING TO DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS WHICH HAS DIFFICULTED A PROPER DIAGNOSIS. SHE WAS RECENTLY ADMITTED WITH CRONIC VOMIT AND DIAHREA. SHE WAS RECENTLY ADMITTED FOR THREE WEEKS AND RELEASED ON JUNE 8TH. SHE WAS MARRIED BUT NOW LIVES WITH THE MOTHER.

HIV/AIDS

MSF at IAS 2017

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is participating in the world's largest biannual scientific HIV conference, run by the International Aids Society (IAS). The conference will take place in Paris from 23 to 26 July. Project Update - 23 Jul 2017

In the in-patient department of MSF's clinic in Pibor.

Photo series taken in Pibor and Gumuruk to accompany the November 2012 Jonglei Report, describing the consequences of violence in South Sudan's Jonglei State. Direct consequences seen by MSF include gunshot and stab wounds, many women and children being among the victims. The less visible, but equally serious, indirect consequences of the violence are when people flee into the bush with no possessions, vulnerable to malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Furthermore, healthcare itself is under threat, and four of MSF's six clinics in Jonglei state have been looted, damaged or destroyed in the past year and a half.

South Sudan

MSF strongly condemns the armed robbery of its clinic

“This event forced us to evacuate part of our team and reduce our activities at a time when people are in desperate need of healthcare.” Press Release - 14 Jul 2017

18-year-old Abuk Akuoc, semi-conscious and still letting out soft moans of pain, receives an IV treatment of quinine for her severe malaria at the government-run health center in Panthou. Abuk's family brought her to the health center from their village, called Malithbuol, by motorcycle, which they hired for 30 SSP. The journey took 15 minutes, but it would have taken one hour on foot. This wasn't the first time she had been at the health center: the previous week they had brought her in, suffering from malaria. She had been prescribed ACT but at the time, the health center had none in stock. It had run out back on August 17th. So, they instructed her to purchase it in the market. But the family couldn't find any ACT there either. It wasn't in stock. So they bought only paracetamol. Last night, Abuk didn't eat and complained of a headache. This morning, when she was cooking, she collapsed. Her family had never seen anything like this and didn't know what malaria looked like until now. Panthou health care center is the only one in Aweil South county and is currently treating about 150 malaria patients per day. They had just received a supply of ACT oral medication for malaria; their previous stock had ran out on August 17. This new stock will likely run out in one or two weeks. They have quinine, but not a lot, so they reserve it for serious cases. They have no RDT (rapid detection tests), so diagnosis is only done clinically based on observed symptoms.

South Sudan

Malaria preparedness vital as rains begin

Hundreds of thousands of people in South Sudan are at risk of contracting malaria in the coming months during the annual peak of the disease, which begins in the country’s rainy season. Project Update - 12 Jul 2017

Central African Republic

Baby brutally killed at a hospital

“The callousness of this attack highlights both the indiscriminate nature and disturbing escalation in violence in CAR against civilians" Statement - 12 Jul 2017

MSF works with a network of local organisations, who work with young girls and vulnerable children. Solidarité fanm pou yon lavi miyò (Sofalam) is one of them. They provide shelter to twelve girls, who have been refered to them by governmental social agency. Those girls are seperated from their families and have been living in a extremely vulnerable situation. Sexual abuse has been identified in some case. One of the main challenge that SOFALAM faces is the lack of means to hire competent psycologist and social workers who could help children who have been victim of sexual abuse.

Haiti

Against their will: New report on sexual violence

In Haiti, the number of young people, especially women and girls, who report experiencing sexual and gender based violence is alarmingly high. Report - 12 Jul 2017

GISELE, 20 years old (name changed)
My cousin told me that I had bad luck, that something was wrong with me. A friend of my parents said that he was a mason and therefore could help remove the “bad eye”. He took me to an isolated place and asked me to get naked. He touched me and raped me. I even gave him 1000 gourds. I told my family what happened. Now he is hiding, and he is under the protection of a women judge. I want justice to be done. I also know he is a recidivist. He did the same to two little girls from my neighbourhood. The parents are scared so they don’t do anything. Both girls are 15 and 12.

Haiti

Against their will

In Haiti, the number of young people, especially women and girls, who report experiencing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is alarmingly high, especially in the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince. Yet, the issue is not widely discussed, and SGBV cases are likely underreported due to stigma and shame, as well as fear of reprisal from perpetrators or the community. At the same time, the services that are available for survivors, especially for minors (under the age of 18), are insufficient and inadequate. Photo Story - 12 Jul 2017

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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Over one million children vaccinated against measles