After Kenya disintegrated into violence following the country’s disputed presidential election, MSF teams were forced to switch gears from specialized care for chronic diseases to treating machete wounds and running mobile clinics.
On January 28, in what was an organized attack, an MSF vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb while traveling through the port city of Kismayo in southern Somalia. The blast killed three MSF staff.
During the week of January 27, reports surfaced of rebel forces advancing on the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, to oust the president. In preparation, MSF quickly transferred its surgical staff.
Since 1998, civilians in the DRC's North Kivu province have been caught in the middle of a battle for control between local and foreign militias, and the Congolese army. MSF teams have been on the forefront of trying to assist people trapped by the conflict.
Pediatrician Leo Ho worked in the intensive care unit of an MSF-run hospital in Bo, Sierra Leone, an area plagued by malaria. Here, he reflects on his assignment through images captured by photojournalist Francesco Zizola.
For patients with advanced HIV, complications from CMV retinitis— most notably blindness—are preventable. However, screening and treatment are out of reach in many places where CMV retinitis is prevalent.
Podcast
MSF Frontline Reports: CMV in Southeast Asia, India's hidden war, and post-election violence in Kenya
This spring, MSF will publish, From Ethiopia to Chechnya: Reflections on Humanitarian Action, 1988-1999, a collection of essays from François Jean (1956-1999).
From Ethiopia to Chechnya: Reflections on Humanitarian Action, 1988-1999 will be available for order by May 15.
MSF Launches North American Tour of “A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City”
In September and October 2007, MSF brought its outdoor educational exhibit A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. In 2008, MSF will take the exhibit to cities in western Canada and California. A tentative list of cities and dates are below. Visit doctorswithoutborders. org/refugeecamp to check for updated information.
Canadian cities
Winnipeg September 11-14
Edmonton September 18-21
Calgary September 25-28
Vancouver October 2-6
US cities
San Francisco October 15-19
Los Angeles October 22-27
Santa Monica October 31-November 2
San Diego November 6-9
Cross-country cycling event to raise funds for MSF
Twenty-five riders, many of whom are fourth-year medical students, will be fundraising and participating in a 3,700-mile ride to benefit MSF. The group represents Ride for World Health (R4WH), a national, nonprofit organization that advocates for improvements in the quality and accessibility of global health care. R4WH was founded in November of 2004 by a small group of Ohio State University medical students as a reaction to the state of domestic and global healthcare.
The riders will start on April 14 in San Diego and are expected to finish May 26 in Washington, D.C. Please visit rideforworldhealth.org for more information on the tour.
