Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people, whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.
The organization was founded in 1971, by doctor and journalists in France. They provide independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation. They operate independent of any political, military, or religious agendas. As a result, 89% of MSF's overall funding (and 100% of MSF-USA's funding) comes from private sources not governments. MSF is also committed to speaking out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge in adequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.
There are over 27,000 dedicated individuals working to advance MSF's mission. They are doctors, nurses, logistics experts, administrators, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, mental health professionals, and others who work together in accordance with MSF's guiding principles of humanitarian action and medical ethics. The field staff are supported by their colleagues in 19 offices around the world. These offices are in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Most aid workers are from the communities where the crises are occurring, with 10% of teams made up of international staff.
MSF-USA was founded in 1990 in New York City to raise funds, create awareness, recruit field staff, and advocate with the United Nations and US government on humanitarian concerns. In 1999, MSF won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The website provides a wealth of information of the organization, its mission, initiatives, and who you can get involved. For more information please visit MSF's website.
What a wonderful organization! It is so wonderful to see a non-profit work so tirelessly to help people all over the world. There are so many people, especially in Africa, who don't ever get the opportunity to receive basic health care. Unfortunately, not many people today make sacrifices to help others. http://sahbu.org
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