Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a humanitarian association (NGO) which acts throughout the world, with the aim of assisting and helping people whose lives are threatened, such as during the war in Ukraine, the epidemic of ‘Ebola or the 2023 earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international humanitarian medical associationcreated with the aim of providing medical assistance to populations whose life or health are threatened, in France or abroad, mainly in the event of of war or armed conflict, pandemics, famines or natural disasters. Who are Doctors Without Borders? What are their missions ? How to get involved in this association? How can we help them on our scale?
History: what is the association Médecins Sans Frontières?
Humanitarian association created in 1971 in Paris by a group of doctors and journalistsMédecins Sans Frontières (or MSF) is an emergency medical organization (non-governmental organization or NGO) that offers medical assistance in a precarious context and without discrimination, in other words to people whose life is threatened, such as in the event of armed conflict, epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters (tsunami, earthquake, etc.) or exclusion from care. It is present in more than 70 countries around the worldwith nearly 100 medical assistance operations and 41,000 people employed (members of the MSF teams) in the offices or who act directly in the field. For all of its interventions and its values, Médecins Sans Frontières has received the Nobel Prize of Peace in 1999.
Who are the founding physicians of Médecins Sans Frontières?
In 1971, these are 13 peoplemostly doctors, who created Médecins Sans Frontières:
- Dr. Marcel Delcourt, general practitioner
- Dr Max Récamier, otolaryngologist
- Dr Gérard Pigeon, doctor-colonel of firefighters
- Dr Bernard Kouchner, physician and politician
- Raymond Borel, from the magazine tone
- Dr. Jean Cabrol, surgeon
- Dr. Vladan Radoman, surgeon
- Dr Jean-Michel Wild, surgeon
- Dr Pascal Greletty-Bosviel, general practitioner
- Dr Jacques Bérès, orthopedic surgeon
- Dr Gérard Illouz, plastic surgeon
- Philippe Bernier, journalist for the magazine Tonus
- Dr. Xavier Emmanuelli
Today, the teams of Médecins Sans Frontières bring together:
- health professionals (general practitioners, pediatricians, emergency physicians, gynecologists, oncologists, psychologists, anesthesiologists, plastic surgeons, burnologists, hand plastic surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, infectiologists, microbiologists, nurses, resuscitators, midwives, etc.)
- Logistics professionals (architects builders, electricians, general logistics specialists, water, hygiene and sanitation managers, supply managers, etc.)
- Administrative professionals (human resources, project coordinators, lawyers…)
Objective: what is the role of Médecins Sans Frontières?
Médecins Sans Frontières’ mission is to implement a wide range of care: consultations, hospitalizations, surgical interventions, psychological care, medico-nutritional care… It can also provide material and medical assistance to improve the living conditions of people affected by a health or social crisis. Some examples of missions and interventions of Médecins Sans Frontières (obviously non-exhaustive list):
→ In 1980: distribution of massive aid and a shipment of food to Cambodia to deal with the famine.
→ In 1994: assistance and relief operations in Rwanda following the attacks and exterminations perpetrated by militiamen supervised by the Rwandan Armed Forces.
→ In 2000: political and social mobilization for access to tritherapies in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. In 2000, at Surin hospital in Thailand, Médecins Sans Frontières put its first patients on triple therapy.
→ In 2000: elaboration of the law on Universal Health Coverage (CMU), which comes into force on January 1, 2000. This makes it possible to immediately open rights to social security coverage for any person residing in France
→ In 2005: uses and mass shipments of ready-to-use therapeutic foods to treat severe acute malnutrition during the nutrition crisis in Niger
→ In 2011: supply of medicines and opening of a hospital in northern Syria during the Arab Spring.
→ In 2014: employing nearly 4,000 national staff and 325 international staff to fight the Ebola epidemic in the three most affected countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
→ In 2015: launch of a search, rescue and medical aid operation in the central Mediterranean, between Africa and Europe, in order to come to the aid of migrants.
→ In 2022: mobilization and medical assistance to victims or refugees of war during the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
→ In 2022: emergency intervention (aid to populations and support to local health structures) during the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey
What is the logo of Doctors Without Borders?
The current Médecins Sans Frontières logo was created In 1994. It represents a “ambivalent silhouette (in red and white) which evokes both a human being on the move fleeing violence Or a person who helps other people. In both cases, it is an active character and the stripes only reinforce this dynamism“, can we read on the official website of the NGO.
What is the difference between Doctors of the World and Doctors Without Borders?
There are few differences. Doctors of the World and Doctors Without Borders are both medical NGOs of international solidarity which intervene in France and abroad. Médecins du Monde is a smaller organization (staff: less than 4000) and was created in 1980, 9 years after Médecins Sans Frontières.
► By supporting MSF actions through sending donations. Several possibilities :
- Do an online donation (donations subject to a tax deduction)
- Make a regular donation
- Set up a withholding tax
- Donate to an association
► By purchasing products on the solidarity shop of MSF
► By joining the teams in the field (MSF is particularly looking for general practitioners, paediatricians and human resources coordinators). Offers are regularly published on the Doctors Without Borders website. Spontaneous applications are also possible to apply for field missions.
► Organize a fundraising event (online for example)
► By participating in events Médecins Sans Frontières in the regions (information meetings, exhibitions, conferences, debates, screenings, etc.) or by relaying messages on social networks
→ Address: 14-34 avenue Jean Jaures / 75019 Paris
→ Telephone number: 01 40 21 29 29
Sources: Doctors Without Borders official website / Doctors Without Borders Facebook page