News from the field
Too often, humanitarian crises are forgotten, ignored or accepted as a new normal. Wherever we can, we aim to bring these to light to provoke change.
Increasingly, across the world, limited access to treatment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes is becoming deadly. In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, an NCD crisis has been brewing. More people are living with NCDs, but access to treatment is a massive barrier to managing them. As a result, MSF has decided to launch a project to tackle Type 2 diabetes and hypertension using many of the models of care that work for the long-term treatment of HIV. “Type 2 diabetes and hypertension are manageable diseases, yet too many people are dying from them,” says Dr Manny Thandrayen, from the Eastern Cape project. “These diseases are silent killers that can go undetected. Not only must we act to bring care to people who need it most, we also need to shine a light on this crisis so that the inequities in access to healthcare are highlighted.” The project aims to bring care closer to affected people – the majority of whom live in rural areas away from commercial centres. This will involve testing people for Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, as well as developing sustainable treatment protocols that foster long-term adherence. For example, medication pick-up points will be set up in accessible places, like churches and grocery stores, and patients will be supported by peer-led adherence groups. Keep an eye out for more updates as we roll out this exciting new project!
Photo © MSF
South Africa
Tackling a growing medical emergency
Israel-Palestine Conflict
We need a ceasefire now!
“Hospitals are flooded with patients, amputations and surgeries are being carried out without proper anesthesia, and morgues are flooded with dead bodies,” says Dr Mohammed Obeid, an MSF surgeon in Gaza. Across Gaza, the number of injured in need of urgent medical assistance far exceeds the capacity of the health system, which currently has around 3,500 beds. So many victims in such a short space of time is unheard of, even compared with previous large-scale Israeli offensives. Under international humanitarian law, patients, health workers and facilities like hospitals must be protected at all times, yet millions of men, women and children are facing an inhuman siege, a collective punishment. “Helpless people are being subjected to horrific bombing. Families have nowhere to run or to hide, as hell is unleashed on them. We need a ceasefire now,” says Dr Christos Christou, MSF International President. “Water, food, fuel, medical supplies and humanitarian aid in Gaza need to be urgently restored.” Many of our Palestinian colleagues continue to work and provide lifesaving care in hospitals and across the Gaza Strip, while the most basic protections for hospitals and medical personnel are not guaranteed. “We are ready to increase our aid capacity in Gaza. We have teams on standby ready to send medical supplies and to enter Gaza to support the emergency medical response, as soon as the situation allows it,” says Dr Christou. “But as long as the bombing continues with the current intensity, any effort to increase medical aid will inevitably fall short.”
*This article was first published on 29 October 2023