Stories & News

MSF and activists launch a petition and protest outside Danaher in Washington, DC to pressure companies to reduce the price of lifesaving medical tests.

As leaders meet to negotiate the global “pandemic accord," Australia must do more to ensure we are prepared for future public health emergencies. Simon Eccleshall, Head of Programs for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Australia, reflects on the lessons we've learned and what is needed going forward.

Over the past three months, the Israeli Forces’ all-out assault on the Gaza Strip has drastically diminished the options for people to find medical care. The amount of safe space for organisations to provide healthcare to people is now virtually non-existent. Constant evacuation orders and attacks on health facilities have repeatedly forced organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to evacuate hospitals and leave patients behind.

MSF calls again on Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) to withdraw or abandon extended patents on lifesaving TB drug as main patent expires in India on 18 July, opening the door to more affordable generic brands.

Harrowing stories from patients being evacuated on Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) medical referral train show that the war in Ukraine is being conducted with an outrageous lack of consideration for civilian protection. 

Following a tumultuous year which saw a military takeover, horrific violence and widespread civil disobedience, Myanmar’s public healthcare system remains in disarray. Most medical staff remain on strike, and the devastating COVID-19 outbreak has overwhelmed hospitals. 

The uneven progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unequal access to vaccines and treatments calls for locally tailored approaches.

Isabelle Defourny, Director of Operations for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), discusses the 'one-size-fits-all' approach to COVID-19 vaccination advocated for by the UN, and the urgent need for vaccines in low income countries.

The World Health Organization’s declaration of Omicron as a “variant of concern” shows how critical it is to lift global COVID-19 vaccination rates. With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of abating, prioritising access to COVID-19 medical tools for everyone, everywhere is essential.

Low vaccination rates increase the likelihood of new variants, such as Omicron, appearing. If we vaccinate the world more quickly, the chance of mutations drops.

Healthcare facilities were already scare across southern Haiti before the recent earthquake. Now earthquake survivors face a difficult journey to access the ongoing care they need. 

Imagine the difference it could make if African countries that are facing waves of COVID-19 infections didn't have to rely on imports of vaccines. How many more people in developing countries could be vaccinated if countries could produce them themselves?