Statements & Opinion

One year ago—and seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic—India and South Africa put forward the TRIPS Waiver proposal: a groundbreaking solution to lift intellectual property barriers on and ensure greater equity in access to any vaccines, tests, treatments or other medical tools needed to tackle COVID-19.  

Despite this waiver offering the chance to save millions of lives, a number of wealthy countries continue to block it.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has long responded to some of the world’s worst medical and humanitarian crises. With climate change being described as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century—impacts we have seen first hand while working with the world's most vulnerable—our response to climate change is a critical pillar of our approach as a medical humanitarian organisation. 

The detention camps in northeast Syria are not a safe place for anyone, especially the tens of thousands of children forced to call them home, writes Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Nursing Activity Manager Sarah Gnanaseharam.

Imagine the difference it could make if African countries that are facing waves of COVID-19 infections didn't have to rely on imports of vaccines. How many more people in developing countries could be vaccinated if countries could produce them themselves?

In the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the future of many essential aid and healthcare programs is uncertain. 

Médecins Sans Frontières staff Christopher Stokes and Jonathan Whittall discuss how the organisation's principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality have been the foundation of current work in Afghanistan—and how essential these principles are going forward. 

Ahead of the G7 summit this week, Médecins Sans Frontières Australia is calling on the Australian government to immediately donate surplus vaccines that have been manufactured in Australia to COVAX. 

The Australian government needs to support formal negotiations on the landmark intellectual property waiver being discussed today at the World Trade Organization meeting, says the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

The second wave of COVID-19 is reaching extremely alarming levels in India. Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has scaled up its intervention in Mumbai, Maharashtra, where the increasing numbers of cases have been devastating to the healthcare system. 

The health system in Papua New Guinea is on the brink of collapse as COVID-19 cases triple in a matter of weeks and increasing numbers of healthcare staff are testing positive, says Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). 

The Australian Government’s support for Papua New Guinea’s COVID-19 response is welcome, but is insufficient and too late, said Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders (MSF).