Stories From Patients & Staff

Gynaecologist Dr Ute Schilling has a specialisation in oncology. She recently went on assignment to the city of Blantyre in Malawi with MSF, and tells us about her work treating cervical cancer in this region.

The conflict in Sudan’s West Darfur state has led to more violence against Masalit communities in El Geneina, the capital city. Photographer Corentin Fohlen provides a glimpse into the lives of survivors and families who have fled to east Chad. 

The numbers tell a heart-breaking story: nearly half of all deaths in children under five have an underlying link to malnutrition, and it prevents nearly every fourth child from growing and developing properly.

Of the more than 69,000 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff in 2023, many thousands are nurses. Here, four MSF nurses from northwest Syria share a bit about their experiences: what a good day looks like, stories from their work, and some of the challenges they have overcome. 

Following heavy Israeli ground and air strikes on 8-9 June, Al-Aqsa hospital is overcrowded with hundreds of wounded—mostly women and children. Bec Smith, a nurse from Broome, West Australia, is currently in Gaza working as a nursing activity manager. Here she describes the traumatic situation in which she and her colleagues are working.

Healing psychological trauma in Gaza cannot happen until there is a ceasefire.

On the morning of Saturday 8 June 2024, Israeli forces heavily bombed the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip, including Al-Nuseirat refugee camp. MSF Dr Hazem Maloh recalls that horrific and traumatising day when he lost many of his friends and neighbours. 

Most of the people who fled Sudan into Chad are women and children. Left as the sole providers, Sudanese women are now bearing the full responsibility of caring for their families. 

In December 2023, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began providing surgical activities at the Niono hospital in central Mali. People living in Niono and the surrounding area suffer the effects of armed conflict, with limited access to quality health facilities. MSF teams have now renovated the department, as well as providing additional resources to cater to the needs.