Conducting operational research within a non governmental organization: the example of Médecins Sans Frontières

Conducting operational research within a non governmental organization: the example of Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Like many other non governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide assistance to vulnerable populations living in difficult and resource-limited settings, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is confronted with situations for which proven, effective interventions are often lacking and/or where there is need for strong advocacy for improving medical care. As a result, MSF has become an important contr...

The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières approach to operational research.

Operational research (OR) has become a hot topic at national meetings, international conferences and donor fora. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Operational Centre Brussels strongly promote and implement OR with colleagues in low- and middle-income countries. Here we describe how the two organisations define OR, and ex...

An interview with Médecins Sans Frontières.

Médecins Sans Frontières: 20 years old.

tance, althdugh this high degree of penetrance is rare.89 Peters and others emphasised good nutritional habits and complete avoidance of precipitant causes as the greatest priority in treating acute intermittent porphyria.'9 In that context it is unsettling to read in van Gogh's letters the recurring theme that sickness, or something less than full health, is compatible with or even encourages ...

Data Sharing in a Humanitarian Organization: The Experience of Médecins Sans Frontières

Open data and data sharing are essential for maximizing the benefits that can be obtained from institutional and research datasets [1]. In 2012, the medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) decided to adopt a data sharing policy for routinely collected clinical and research data (http://www. msf.org.uk/msf-data-sharing). Here we describe the policy’s principles, practica...