Crisis settings

Access to medicines

Unaffordable, unavailable, not adapted - people around the world face these challenges in accessing lifesaving medicines.

 

Medical activities

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing phenomenon in contemporary medicine and has emerged as one of the pre-eminent public health concerns of the 21st century.

 

In Focus

Attacks on medical care

Attacks against medical facilities and health workers, whether deliberate or indiscriminate, are part of generalised violence and atrocities committed against civilians in armed conflict. They deprive populations of health services, often when they need them the most.

 

In Focus

Central American migration

An estimated 500,000 people a year flee violence and poverty in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, heading north through Mexico to find safety. The levels of violence in the region are comparable to that of war zones MSF has worked in for decades.

 

Medical activities

Child health

Around the world, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are working to protect the health of children.

 

Medical activities

Cholera

Although easy to prevent and treat, cholera affects up to 4 million people worldwide per year, resulting in up to 140,000 deaths.

 

Crisis settings

Climate emergency

The health impacts of a changing climate are already a burden for many people in the world, including those MSF teams assist.

 

In Focus

Conflict in Sudan

Find out the latest information on MSF's response to the conflict in Sudan.

 

Medical activities

Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, most of which are harmless for humans. However, two types can cause severe lung infections. MSF is currently responding to a worldwide coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19

 

Crisis settings

Epidemics and pandemics

Millions of people still die each year from infectious diseases that are preventable or can be treated.

 

In Focus

Gaza-Israel war

Learn how MSF teams are responding to the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza, Palestine.

 

Medical activities

Haemorrhagic fevers

Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers are rare but deadly. Outbreaks can kill 25 to 90 per cent of those infected, spreading fear and panic among affected communities.

 

Medical activities

Hepatitis C

Worldwide, an estimated 58 million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus, with about 1.5 million new infections occurring per year. While hepatitis C can be cured, few people have access to treatment.

 

Medical activities

Hepatitis E

Hepatitis E is transmitted by ingesting water contaminated by an infected person’s faeces. Outbreaks are often documented in places with poor sanitation, like camps for refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs). Hepatitis E commonly causes only a mild short-term illness.

 

Medical activities

HIV/AIDS

Around 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes, while 1.3 million people became newly infected with the HIV virus in 2022.

 

Medical activities

Kala azar

Hundreds of millions of people are at risk of infection with kala azar - one of the world's most dangerous parasitic diseases. Only malaria is more deadly.

 

Medical activities

Malaria

Each year, malaria kills over 600,000 people. Three-quarters of all deaths are children under five years of age.

 

Medical activities

Malnutrition

More than 224 million children around the world last year suffered from malnutrition. It is the underlying contributing factor in nearly half of the deaths of children under five years of age.

 

Medical activities

Measles

In 2023, our teams vaccinated 3.3 million people against measles in response to outbreaks. But the highly contagious viral disease remains one of the leading killers of young children.

 

In Focus

Mediterranean migration

Every year, thousands of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty at home attempt the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean. Countless lives are lost on the way.

 

Medical activities

Meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis is a highly contagious bacterial form of meningitis – a serious inflammation of the meninges – the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

 

Medical activities

Mental health

Where we work, we may see people with a mental illness or confronting distressing situations, such as violence, loss or displacement. Mental health support can be crucial to help people cope.

 

Medical activities

Mpox

Learn more about MSF's activities in responding to mpox.

 

Crisis settings

Natural hazards

Within a matter of minutes, natural hazards can affect the lives of tens of thousands of people. Hundreds or even thousands of people can be injured, homes and livelihoods destroyed. Access to clean water, healthcare services and transport can also be disrupted. The impact of each event varies greatly and our response must adapt to each situation.