A SGBV survivor’s story: “He would come home drunk, beat me, urinate on my face and threaten to abuse me in worse ways.”

A thin-framed Kamla* looked around, unsure whether she was at the right place, and hesitating whether to share her experience or not. This was the first time she was visiting MSF’s SGBV clinic on the recommendation of an MSF health educator. Reassured by the friendliness of the counsellor, who promised her complete privacy, Kamla felt … Read more

Jharkhand: What motherhood taught me about malnutrition

Name : Designation : Subashini is from Jharkhand, where she works with MSF as a Community Health Educator to improve local communities’ understanding of health and nutrition. But it was her own experience as a young mother with a malnourished child that inspired her to help others avoid the same story. In this animated video … Read more

Tuberculosis: TB activists challenge Johnson & Johnson patent application on bedaquiline in India

Mumbai/Cape Town – Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is supporting a patent challenge filed in India this week by two tuberculosis survivors, to prevent pharmaceutical corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J) from extending its monopoly on the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline. Nandita Venkatesan from Mumbai, India and Phumeza Tisile from Khayelitsha, South Africa, who filed the patent … Read more

Tuberculosis: TB activists challenge Johnson & Johnson patent application on bedaquiline in India

Mumbai/Cape Town – Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is supporting a patent challenge filed in India this week by two tuberculosis survivors, to prevent pharmaceutical corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J) from extending its monopoly on the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline. Nandita Venkatesan from Mumbai, India and Phumeza Tisile from Khayelitsha, South Africa, who filed the … Read more

Bihar: MSF to provide comprehensive care for people living with advanced HIV

Patna, Bihar: On 25th January, international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), together with state authorities in Bihar, inaugurated a specialised ward at the Guru Gobind Singh Hospital (GGSH) in Patna, Bihar, northeast of India. The main purpose of the programme is to reduce the number of deaths among patients with advanced HIV … Read more

Top five stories from our Indian field workers in 2018

From Jharkhand to Uttar Pradesh and Jordan to Bangladesh, our Indian field workers work with our teams to provide essential medical care to the those in need. We’ve compiled a list of the top five reads from our Indian field workers who’ve shared their stories with us this year. Jharkhand: “I was a teenage mother … Read more

Video: Explaining kala azar-HIV coinfection

Kala azar or visceral leishmaniasis a neglected tropical disease and the second-largest parasitic killer in the world. India accounts for over 30% of the total kala azar cases in the world. 80% of these cases occur in Bihar. Since 2007, MSF is providing treatment for kala azar in Bihar. While there has been a sharp … Read more

Bihar: On the frontline of treating kala azar-HIV co-infection

Kala azar is one of the most dangerous neglected tropical diseases in the world. It is spread to humans by bites from infected female sand flies and attacks the immune system. While cases of the disease are declining steadily, kala azar-HIV co-infection is fast becoming a serious threat. After treating over 12,000 kala azar patients … Read more

Bihar: "I try to bring hope to patients living with kala azar-HIV co-infection"

Name : Designation : Interview conducted and written by Kavitha Devadas for MSF Kala azar is one of the most dangerous neglected tropical diseases in the world. It is spread to humans by bites from infected female sand flies and attacks the immune system. While cases of the disease are declining steadily, kala azar-HIV co-infection … Read more

Zoya’s story: "I have returned from the brink of death"

Name : Designation : Interview conducted and written by Kavitha Devadas for MSF As well as suffering a lack of awareness and social stigma, kala azar-HIV co-infected patients are also prone to other infections, relapse more often and are at a greater risk of death. 39-year-old Zoya shares her story of recovery after being treated for … Read more