Stories From Patients & Staff

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) constructed a faecal sludge treatment site in Aboutengue camp, Chad, which hosts approximately 45,000 Sudanese refugees, to process waste from 932 latrines built by MSF, supporting improved sanitation and helping to meet the standard of 50 people per latrine in emergency contexts. Learn more.

When Nyasebit Chan moved to Old Fangak in Jonglei State, South Sudan, a hepatitis E outbreak was well underway. The virus affects people of all ages but is particularly risky for pregnant women and girls. A mother to two sons, Nyasebit had left her immediate family in New Fangak to support her stepbrothers at a difficult time. 

Nyakuola Nguot Gang gave birth to each of her six children in MSF’s long-standing maternity department in the far north of South Sudan, where she lives with extended family. Her youngest, daughter Nyamuch, was born on 1 January 2025—but only after her 40-year-old mother escaped possible death. 

In South Sudan, our female colleagues are challenging gender roles in their community. They are excelling in their jobs and making an impactful contribution to MSF operations to provide quality healthcare.

In Maiduguri, the capital city of Nigeria’s Borno State, a specialised medical facility has become a lifeline for pregnant women and newborns facing critical health risks. Just six months after its opening, the facility’s patient numbers continue to grow, underscoring its vital role in saving lives.

Despite the challenges facing female healthcare workers in Afghanistan, in Lashkar Gah, MSF’s all-women maternity team are helping thousands of women to give birth safely every year. Obstetrician-gynaecologist Pauline Lynch recently returned from Afghanistan, and shares the story of one of them.

Have you ever worked in an area where access to phones and the internet was extremely limited? Have you diagnosed a patient without the diagnostic tests you might be used to? Situations like these are common in the areas MSF works, which is why we are looking for candidates with significant experience working in remote, low-resource settings. 

“I told my husband I would not survive childbirth again, because I have diabetes,” shares Negah Abdallah Ali, who has just delivered her healthy baby, Ashraf, at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) maternity ward at the Mocha General hospital.

As part of an emergency response to the devastating storm in Mozambique, MSF is providing psychological support to survivors to cope with their distress and to overwhelmed health professionals.

Midwife Solange Famanou Ahidjo has worked in MSF maternity unit at Aboutengué camp in eastern Chad for a year. Surrounded by a team of midwives and assistants, Solange provides critical care to women throughout their pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum period. She shares her account of working as a midwife with MSF.