Who we need for humanitarian assignments

MSF anethesiologists cooperate closely with the surgical staff in the operating room, emergency and recovery rooms, and the intensive care unit. They often work under difficult conditions with limited resources including diagnostic tools and operating room equipment.

MSF emergency physicians oversee the functioning of the emergency department from patient entry to admission or discharge. Emergency medicine includes treatment of a wide range of acute illnesses and injuries – trauma, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases or vital signs and obstetric complications.

MSF epidemiologists operate in areas potentially at risk of epidemics such as cholera or measles. They cooperate with the team on medical projects, support the establishment of early warning systems in areas with potential epidemics and provide disease monitoring training to local staff.

The role of nurses in MSF is primarily managerial. It can range from leading a team, actively supporting nursing staff in their work, to managing a department or clinic. In most projects, family members and local nurses take over the primary care of patients.

MSF general practitioners are responsible for diagnosing, treating and performing other medical procedures in hospitals, outpatient clinics and mobile clinics in a variety of settings. These include projects focusing on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, nutrition, neglected diseases such as kala azar and sleeping sickness, as well as providing medical care to people who have been forcibly displaced or communities lacking access to vital healthcare.

Providing reproductive health and maternity care is a core part of many MSF projects, whether ongoing or in response to an emergency. MSF obstetrician gynecologists support care for survivors of sexual violence, family planning, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.

Their role includes designing the program, evaluating existing medical activities or conducting the research itself. They are primarily responsible for improving the quality of patient care, starting with diagnosis, treatment and patient adherence to treatment.

In addition to direct clinical midwifery work with patients, MSF midwives’ work focuses mainly on team leadership and creating a respectful work environment. Respect for different cultural realities is a crucial part of this role.