Doctors Without Borders Mission Statement

“Helping the World, One Step at a Time”

Have you ever heard of Médecins Sans Frontières, or their more commonly known name Doctors Without Borders? MSF is an organization that provides people in need, throughout the world, medicine and proper medical care. They are a group that will not tolerate the mistreatment of people and will speak out on it. This report will go through the history, problems that the organization faces today, the leadership, and how it raises money.

Internationally known by their English name Doctors Without Borders. When it was created it had three hundred volunteers, of doctors, nurses, and other staff, and the thirteen founding doctors and journalists. Those thirteen founders are, Dr. Jacques Beres, Philippe Bernier, Raymond Borel, Dr. Jean Cabrol, Dr. Marcel Delcourt, Dr. Xavier Emmanuelli, Dr. Pascal Greletty-Bosviel, Gérard Illiouz, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, Dr. Gérard Pigeon, Vladan Radoman, Dr. Max Recamier, and Dr. Jean-Michel Wild. Their mission statement is essentially that everyone should have the right to medical care no matter what gender, race, religion and the needs of the people have to be met wherever they

Specifically in Managua, the capital, where an earthquake in 1972 decimated the city and killed up to 30,000 people. In 1974 MSF set up another mission to help the people of Honduras after Hurricane Fifi flooded the area killing thousands. The first large-scale medical program didn’t happen until 1975. It was made to give medical aid for thousands of Cambodians who were fleeing from Pol Pot, an oppressive ruler at the time. After these few missions like all organizations the weaknesses began to show. There was poor preparation, doctors were left without support, and getting the supplies to the right destination was very difficult. People were beginning to lose faith in MSF. Part of the problem explained by MSF’s president at the time, Claude Malhuret, was that some people wanted it to be structured and others who wanted small units that would just go in and do their thing. They feared that it would end up similar to the Red Cross but a group of doctors with some medicine in their bag wouldn’t be enough. At the General assembly in 1979 they all took a vote should they become organized or stay in this guerilla like units. Eighty percent voted to get organized. After that Bernard Kouchner and some of his friends from the beginning in Nigeria left to form Médecins du Monde, or Doctors of the World. From then on lead by Claude Malhuret and Rony Brauman MSF became very professional. Since 1980 they have opened