2007
An MSF study shows good outcomes for second-line AIDS treatment in resource-poor settings. MSF provide anti-retroviral therapy to more than 80,000 patients in over 30 countries.
The crisis in Zimbabwe, with an estimated 3 million people fleeing to surrounding countries mainly to South Africa, severely damages the government's HIV/AIDS programme but MSF continue to work giving 33,000 HIV positive patients free healthcare, 11,000 of whom receive anti-retroviral therapy
MSF teams confront an Ebola outbreak in Uganda. After carrying out a rapid assessment, MSF set up isolation units in the Kikyo health center and the Bundibugyo hospital.
MSF teams continue to work under appalling conditions in Somalia. MSF has worked continuously in southern and central Somalia for over sixteen years and in 2007 provides medical care in nine regions.
2006
New MSF data shows treatment of children works in resource-poor settings. MSF provide antiretroviral treatment to more than 60,000 patients spread across 65 projects in 32 countries, including over 4,000 children.
MSF study shows potential for shorter and safer sleeping sickness treatment. In total, MSF screen over 2.4 million people for the disease and treat over 43,000. MSF remain a major provider of sleeping sickness treatment with six programmes in all of the significantly affected countries.
MSF launch a massive measles vaccination campaign in DRC. In only a few weeks, MSF teams vaccinate 359,318 children under the age of 5.
2005
A creative approach allows MSF to treat children with AIDS. MSF present data from a cohort of 1,840 children under 13 from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The observational study is conducted in 22 MSF programmes in 11 countries.
MSF begin an emergency operation to treat tens of thousands of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in various parts of Niger, opening seven inpatient centres and 27 ambulatory centres
Thanks to the huge international response to the tsunami, by May the worst of the emergency is over and MSF feel able to ask its donors, 99% of whom agree, to allow it to reallocate some of the funds received to other MSF emergency medical programmes around the world.
MSF reacted immediately to the Asian tsunami disaster: within 48 hours teams are working on the ground and 32 tons of medical and water and sanitation supplies had been dispatched. By January 7th, two weeks after the disaster, this has increased to over sixty international aid workers and 150 tonnes of relief materials.
2004
Meeting the emergency in Western Darfur, Médecins Sans Frontières open feeding centres, clinics and vaccination campaigns in western Sudan (Darfur) and Chad, where hundreds of thousands of people fleeing violence face starvation.
Afghanistan withdrawal: Médecins Sans Frontières pull out completely following the killing of five of its workers and the continuing threat to its teams by the Taliban.
2003
US invade Iraq: Médecins Sans Frontières teams remain in Baghdad and challenge the US government on its failure to provide adequate medical care to civilians.
Heavy fighting in the Liberian Capital: Médecins Sans Frontières remain in Monrovia to treat victims during fierce fighting between government and rebel groups.
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) created: Médecins Sans Frontières is a founding partner in this new organisation dedicated to developing medicines for neglected Diseases.
Civilians suffer in Democratic Republic of Congo: Médecins Sans Frontières run dozens of medical programmes for people caught in the region’s chronic conflict.
2002
Aid Workers targeted: Médecins Sans Frontières worker Arjan Erkel is abducted in the North Caucacus, a victim of increasing dangers faced by aid workers in conflict zones worldwide.
Famine in Angola: Médecins Sans Frontières run the largest operation in our history, with 200 international volunteers and more than 2,000 local staff working throughout the country.
US-led Coalition invade Afghanistan: With many International staff evacuated, our programmes continue to operate led by Afghan staff.
Malaria killing millions in Africa: Faced with skyrocketing resistance to common antimalarials like chloroquine Médecins Sans Frontières increase its use of artemisin-based combination therapy, and push for wider availability of this effective treatment
2001
The HIV/AIDS pandemic: Médecins Sans Frontières start providing antiretroviral therapy to people living with AIDS in seven countries.
Trauma in Palestinian Territories, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Colombia, and Beyond: Médecins Sans Frontières expand mental health programmes around the world.
2000
Civil War in Sierra Leone: Médecins Sans Frontières treat victims of the country’s brutal civil war.
Asylum seekers flee to Europe: Médecins Sans Frontières expand programmes assisting asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
1999
Launch of Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines: With millions dying each year from treatable infectious diseases, Médecins Sans Frontières start an international effort to push for increased access to medecins for the world's poor.
Crisis in Kosovo: During NATO bombing of Serbia, we provide humanitarian assistance to refugees in Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.
Second war in Chechnya: Médecins Sans Frontières call for access to Grozny and denounce the massive use of violence by Russian forces against civilians.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Médecins Sans Frontières is honored for its "pioneering humanitarian work on several continents."
1998
Women denied care in Afghanistan: Médecins Sans Frontières fight for access to health care for women living under the Taliban regime.
Famine in South Sudan: Médecins Sans Frontières respond to widespread famine caused by civil war and drought.
Hurricane Mitch: We assist victims in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.
Civil war in Republic of Congo: Médecins Sans Frontières integrate treatment for survivors of rape and sexual assault into our emergency response.
Famine in North Korea: Unable to ensure that medical aid was reaching the most vulnerable, we end our programmes after three years, but continue to assist refugees fleeing to China.
1997
Street children neglected in Madagascar, Brazil and the Philippines: MSF Medical and social programs for vulnerable and maginalised youth are expanded.
Rwandan refugee crisis continues: Médecins Sans Frontières fight for access to Rwandan refugees, many of whom are massacred or die of starvation and disease.
1996-97
Rwandan refugees seek aid: Médecins Sans Frontières assist refugees forced out of camps in Zaire as they return home, but are blocked from assisting those fleeing further into Zaire, who fall victim to widespread massacres.
1996
Meningitis in Nigeria: Médecins Sans Frontières launch a massive vaccination [ 4.5 million people] and treatment program
1995
Srebrenica Massacre: Our team witness the fall of the UN "protected zone", and denounce the subsequent massacre of up to 10,000 civilians by Serbian troops.
War in Chechnya: Médecins Sans Frontières bring aid to civilians inside the republic and in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.
1994
Genocide in Rwanda: Médecins Sans Frontières remain in Kigali throughout the genocide of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. We make an unprecedented decision to call for military intervention. One million Rwandan refugees arrive in the small town of Goma, Zaire. Within days, we collaborate on the biggest cholera programme to date.
1993-94
War in Bosnia: Medical programs in the region extend to the UN's supposed "protection zones" of Gorazde and Srebrenica.
1993
Civil war in Burundi: A failed coup d’état in October resulted in 750,000 refugees fleeing to neighbouring Rwanda, Tanzania and Zaire. Médecins Sans Frontières deploy 85 volunteers in the region but delays in the international relief effort cause widespread famine in the refugee camps.
1992
Bosnia: Médecins Sans Frontières denounces ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Emergency in the Horn of Africa: One hundred Médecins Sans Frontières volunteers work in the region affected by war, drought and displacement of population.
1991
Emergency in Somalia: Médecins Sans Frontières represents the only foreign presence in war-stricken Mogadishu, and aids refugees in other countries.
Emergency in Kurdistan: largest emergency relief operation to date. Médecins Sans Frontières provide care in Turkey, Iran and Jordan to Kurds displaced by the Gulf War.
Former Yugoslavia: The Médecins Sans Frontières relief convoy evacuating the wounded from Vukovar hospital comes under attack. Three of our workers are wounded.
1990
Civil war in Liberia: Our teams provide emergency care at the height of the fighting.
Afghanistan: A Médecins Sans Frontières logistician is murdered. Activities suspended.
1989
Soviet Bloc Falls: MSF begin programmes in response to deteriorating health systems.
1988
Earthquake in Armenia: MSF provide medical care in the Soviet Union.
Iraq attacks Kurds We were the first medical organisation that bears witness to the use of chemical weapons on the Kurdish town of Halabja.
Withdrawal from Sudan after an MSF plane is shot down by a missile, killing 4 people, two of them MSF volunteers.
1986
Civil war in Sri Lanka: organise mobile clinics and hospital programs to treat injured and traumatised citizens.
Yemen Intervention in Aden where fighting rages between rival factions of the ruling party.
1985
Ethiopia: Expelled from the country after denouncing the hijacking of humanitarian aid and the forced transfers of populations by the government.
Conflict in Central America: MSF provide medical care in Honduras to refugees from El Salvador and Nicaragua.
1984
Ethiopia: Launch of major nutritional programme.
1981
Afghanistan: Bombardments of Médecins Sans Frontières hospitals.
1980
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. We run clandestine cross-border operations to provide medical care for civilians.
First international appeal The “walk for survival of Cambodia”, in protest against the Vietnamese authorities stopping our teams from bringing aid to Cambodia.
First nutritional programme In the Karamoja province of Uganda, in the midst of drought and civil war.
Also 40 Médecins Sans Frontières volunteers in Somalia’s refugee camps. First Médecins Sans Frontières volunteers in Afghanistan. Start working in Iranian Kurdistan. Start of the relief mission for Salvadoran refugees in Honduras.
1979
Influx of Cambodian refugees into Thailand Médecins Sans Frontières sends 100 volunteers to assist.
1978
Refugee assistance: launch of various refugee programmes in Thailand, in the Ogaden region (Djibouti, war between Ethiopia and Somalia) and Eritrean refugees in Sudan.
1976
War in Lebanon Our teams conduct surgery in the organisation's first major intervention in a war zone.
1975
Cambodians flee Khmer Rouge We provide medical care in our first large-scale intervention in a refugee crisis.
1973
Hurricane in Honduras Our first mission of long-term medical assistance.
1972
Earthquake in Nicaragua Our first mission in a disaster.
1971
Médecins Sans Frontières founded In the wake of the Biafran war.