Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. In over 70 countries around the world, MSF saves lives by providing medical aid where it is needed most—in armed conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters, and other crises. The people who work for MSF are doctors, nurses, midwives, epidemiologists, water-and-sanitation experts and many others who combine their professional expertise with a commitment to the world’s most vulnerable people. Each year, these medical teams run close to 470 projects where they care for millions of people. As an organization, MSF is neutral and operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas. It does not take sides in armed conflicts, provides care based on needs alone, and advocates for increased independent access to victims of conflict and disaster as required under international humanitarian law. Medical teams conduct evaluations on the ground to determine a population's medical needs before opening programs, aiming to fill gaps that exist (rather than replicating services that are already offered) or reach communities that are not being assisted. Over the years, the organization has been the recipient of several awards that recognize its work, including the 1998 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, the 2012 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, the 2015 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award, and the 2017 Pardes Humanitarian Prize for Mental Health.