MSF medical teams often witness violence and neglect in the course of their work, largely in regions that receive scant international attention. At times, MSF may speak out publicly in an effort to bring a forgotten crisis to public attention, to alert the public to abuses occurring beyond the headlines, to criticize the inadequacies of the aid system, or to challenge the diversion of humanitarian aid for political interests.

 

MSF rejects the idea that disadvantaged people deserve third-rate medical care. We strive to provide high-quality care to patients. In 1999, when MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the organization announced that the proceeds from the prize would go toward setting up a Neglected Diseases Fund. The goal was to raise awareness of diseases such as Chagas, sleeping sickness and malaria and set up pilot projects for the clinical development, production, procurement and distribution of treatments.