From its traditional founding in 1971 by doctors and journalists in France, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (Msf) has continued to progress it's proximity colse to the world. Today Msf has sections in 19 countries and conducts operations in more than 60 countries, focusing their efforts on those who are caught in life-threatening situations, whether due to armed conflict, malnutrition, epidemics or natural disasters.
"We find out where the conditions are the worst - the places where others are not going - and that's where we want to be." - Nicolas de Torrente, executive Director
The hallmark of the assosication is their independence, providing impartial assistance to those in need while reserving the right to speak out with respect to human crises and to draw concentration to the many shortcomings or abuses of the humanitarian aid system. They also take an active role in advancing curative treatments and protocols.
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To verbalize their independence, 89% of Msf's over all funding ( and 100% of Msf-Usa's funding) comes from underground sources, not governments. In 2006, Msf had more than three million private donors and underground funders worldwide.
This independence allows Msf to bypass political, economic or religious interests within the area. They also refuse to take sides in any conflict, instead dedicating their services to all who are in need, regardless of circumstances.
The Teams and Services
At any time there may be in excess of 27,000 doctors, nurses, logistics experts, administrators, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians and thinking health professionals representing dozens of nationalities serving the Msf cause. As a crisis unfolds, these staff members are dispatched based on availability and skill set, with each assignment often persisting between 6 and 12 months.
Services they contribute depend upon the nature of the crisis at hand, but may include:
Basic health care, thinking health care and surgery
Hospital and clinic restoration and administration
Vaccination campaigns
Feeding centers for malnourished children
Construction of wells to contribute clean drinking water
Supply shelter materials and blankets
Treatments for Hiv/Aids, tuberculosis, cholera, meningitis, measles and other diseases
Msf doctors accomplish surgical operation in evaporative places such as Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. Posted at a new project opened in Kismayo, southern Somalia in 2007, British surgeon Dr. Paul McMaster describes his work:
"We see lots of gunshot wounds in the abdomen, I just saw person whose arm was shattered with a kalashnikov. The busiest day so far, I was working on a skin graft for a burned child, when a bomb went off. There were about 15 casualties. It took an hour and a half to get citizen triaged and stabilized and I worked into the evening on assorted operations from serious facial wounds to sutures."
Logistical Expertise
Responding to emergencies is time-critical, and due to the fact that every crisis is different, a unique kit of curative supplies and equipment must be shipped to save lives as fast as possible. The mixture of each kit is diverse, and may include a complete operating room or the supplies needed to deal with scores of cholera patients.
Operating from the Msf logistics center in Bordeaux, France, they deal with tons of curative supplies, water purification equipment, food, and hundreds jeeps. Cargo planes can be loaded for take off on a moment's notice, heading to wherever a crisis erupts.
Speaking Out for Justice
Beyond the efforts made to alleviate the pain and suffering of those in crisis, Msf speaks out against the root causes of this suffering and the many challenges to providing productive assistance. These issues are passed on to governments and the United Nations, as well as media outlets and the normal public. Msf staff members are sent to speak at a collection of conferences, and they also arrange informational events and traveling exhibitions.
Through their Campaign for passage to requisite Medicines program, Msf addresses the need for lower drug prices and encourages the requisite study and improvement initiatives required to found new treatments. Much progress has been made recently as industrialized countries have stepped up their financial aid, but a statement on the campaign's web site demonstrates that many are still in dire need.
"There are an estimated 2.1 million children living with Hiv/Aids, 90% of whom are from sub-Saharan Africa. Only 10% receive any medicine for the disease."
The Dangers of salvage Lives
While situations bright famine, disease or the aftermath of a natural disaster are considered relatively safe, those operations which are based in the middle of armed conflicts place Msf staff in harm's way. Governments in many countries, especially Africa, are waging battles with political rivals, insurgents, rebels and leisure fighters - the definition often depending on whose side you are on. Though the Msf staff is not supposed to be targeted by any warring faction, that is not all the time the case.
"On January 28, 2008, in what was an organized attack, a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (Msf) car was struck by a roadside bomb while traveling through the port city of Kismayo in souther Somalia. The blast killed Victor Okumu, a 51-year-old Kenyan surgeon; Samien Lehalle, a 27-year-old French logistician; and Mohamed Abdi Ali, a 28-year-old Somali driver. another member of the team was wounded in the explosion."
To mixture this tragedy further, Msf withdrew their 87 international staff members from 14 different projects over Somalia. The situation in Somalia illustrates how involved the dynamics can be, with the country very unstable and its citizens suffering the effects of a 20+ year civil war.
The Lack of International Attention
Doctors Without Borders published a list of the Top Ten Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2007, the details of which paint a bleak story of the many millions in crisis. Sadly, these stories typically get just a passing mention in the media, regardless of the lives involved.
Humanitarian Aid Restricted in Myanmar
Displaced Fleeing War in Somalia Face Humanitarian Crisis
As Chechen conflict Ebbs, Dire Humanitarian Needs Remain
Civilians in Sri Lanka Under Fire
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Spreads as New Drugs Go Untested
Political and Economic Turmoil Spark Health-Care crisis in Zimbabwe
Conditions Worsen in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Civilians Targeted in Central African Republic
Living Precariously in Colombia's conflict Zone
Expanded Use of Nutrient-Dense, Ready-to-Use Foods Crucial for Reducing Childhood Malnutrition
The Plight of Refuges and Internally Displaced Persons
In many of these dire situations, especially those bright armed conflict, thousand are forced to leave their homes and relocate to safer areas. Regardless of whether they stay in their own country or flee over borders, their plight is one of danger and uncertainty.
In 2007 Msf brought their outdoor educational exhibit, A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City, to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. In 2008, this expected exhibit, depicting what it is like to live in a refugee camp, arrived in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and San Diego.
Doctors Without Borders - Part One
