Pursuers of a Fighting Chance
The challenges faced
After conducting interviews and gathering data, we discovered that when discussing the challenges or future prospects of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), we are deeply moved by the issues at hand. MSF provides assistance to people affected by armed conflicts, epidemics, infectious diseases, natural disasters, and those excluded from healthcare systems. These individuals do not live in politically or socially stable environments.
As a result, MSF’s team includes not only medical personnel but also non-medical staff, such as media outreach specialists, human resources personnel, and water and sanitation experts. However, as Ms. He mentioned in our interview, whether aid workers can enter affected areas is often beyond MSF's control. Despite these uncertainties, MSF strives to ensure that medical professionals can reach disaster zones or war-torn areas to provide necessary assistance.
Below, we have summarized the challenges MSF faces—areas where support is most needed.
1.More donors are needed to support the funding:
What Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) needs is funding, but due to its neutral stance, it cannot accept donations from governments or pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, it has to rely on donations from the public. However, when people are not very familiar with the organization, the amount of donations it can receive from the public is limited. As a result, we can see that MSF annually provides a complete breakdown of how the funds are used, allowing donors to feel reassured about where their donations are going.
2.The shortage of volunteers, including medical personnel:
In different parts of the world, the same suffering caused by armed conflicts, natural disasters, and epidemics persists, yet vulnerable populations are unable to receive treatment. For example, in September 2011, Dr. Zhao Junzhi traveled to South Sudan in Africa to provide medical care. Upon arrival, he found that the country's infrastructure and medical resources were extremely limited, and he was the only surgeon available, responsible for handling all surgeries.
3. Medical Facilities Should Not Be Attacked
The Geneva Conventions stipulate that "fixed medical establishments and mobile medical units of the medical service may in no circumstances be attacked but shall at all times be respected and protected by the parties to the conflict." However, between October 2023 and October 2024, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff alone suffered 41 attacks and violent incidents, including airstrikes, shelling, and violent intrusions into medical facilities, as well as direct gunfire at our shelters and convoys.
Such violations of the conventions not only endanger people in war zones who desperately need medical assistance but also put frontline medical and support personnel at grave risk. Despite these threats, MSF has upheld its principle that medical care should never be a target, providing humanitarian aid in conflict and disaster zones worldwide for 53 years.
During our interview, Ms. He shared her experience serving in Jerusalem, where she had to verify the safety of field personnel daily and relay information from war zones to the global community. She hopes that by raising public awareness, international pressure can help prevent attacks on medical facilities. For frontline medical workers, Ms. He firmly emphasized that the most crucial priority is ensuring their safety.
4.High Patient Volume and Insufficient Medical Personnel：
In resource-scarce areas, traditional medical hierarchies are not always applicable. Practical experience becomes the key to success, allowing young doctors to take on tasks typically managed by department heads in their home countries, while nurses can be responsible for medical management tasks within a specific area.
©MSF
_%C2%A9MSF.jpg)
©MSF
_%C2%A9Ala%20Kheir%2CMSF.jpg)
©Ala Kheir,MSF
_%C2%A9MSF.jpg)
©MSF
Solutions:
Develop clinical guidelines to train young doctors, nurses, and local partner physicians, enhancing medical capabilities.
The guidelines, known as the "Green Guidelines" due to their green cover, are simple and easy to understand, helping newcomers get up to speed quickly.
Introduce a "Basic Medicines Guide" to further assist newcomers in adapting to the local environment.
In 2017, launch an app and website version to ensure information is continuously updated and supports offline use, improving medical response capabilities.