Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. MSF's actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of neutrality and impartiality. Every year MSF sends around 3,000 doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts, administrators and other professionals to work alongside over 25,000 locally hired staff. Together they run medical projects in nearly 70 countries around the world. In emergencies and their aftermath, MSF provides essential healthcare, rehabilitates and runs hospitals and clinics, performs surgery, tackles epidemics, carries out vaccination campaigns, operates feeding centres for malnourished children and offers psychological support. When needed, MSF also constructs wells and dispenses clean drinking water and distributes materials like blankets, plastic sheeting and other basic necessities. Through longer-term programmes, MSF treats patients with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, sleeping sickness and HIV/AIDS and provides medical and psychological care to marginalised groups such as street children. MSF was founded in 1971 as the first non-governmental organisation to provide both emergency medical assistance and bear witness publicly to the plight of the people it assists. MSF is an international network with branches in 23 countries.
