COVID-19

Countries must not let another opportunity slip by to advance the global waiver on overcoming COVID-19 medical-tool monopolies

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Geneva – As countries reconvene tomorrow for another round of discussions on the “TRIPS Waiver” proposal at the World Trade Organization (WTO), after a gap of over two months, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on the European Union (EU), strongly backed by Germany, and the UK, Norway, and Switzerland to stop blocking this initiative … Read more

Yemen: Treating COVID-19 amongst fear, stigma and misinformation

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One year into the COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen; stigma, disinformation, fear of detention and lack of knowledge on the presence of isolation centres continue to deter people from seeking timely treatment for the disease. “Some patients stay at home for a while after they get symptoms and may arrive in the late stages of the disease,” … Read more

EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway must stop blocking negotiations on landmark pandemic monopoly waiver

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Ahead of the next World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on the landmark pandemic monopoly waiver proposal — the ‘TRIPS waiver’ — the international humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced the European Union (EU) and countries including the UK, Switzerland and Norway for employing delay tactics instead of agreeing to start formal negotiations … Read more

Peru: COVID situation remains critical in the world’s worst-hit country

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Peru, which in recent days has revised up the number of deaths from COVID-19, currently has the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world. The revelation comes as the country experiences a major gap in its access to vaccines and is still struggling with overwhelmed intensive care units, even if the overall number of cases has declined … Read more

COVID-19: MSF responds to revised proposal on TRIPS waiver submitted to WTO by sponsoring governments

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Following US expression of support on 5 May, EU and other remaining opposing countries must urgently join global consensus The governments co-sponsoring the proposal to waive intellectual property on COVID-19 medical tools have just submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO). It reaffirms that the scope of the waiver should cover all medical tools … Read more

Year in Review 2020

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The year 2020 was extremely challenging for people all over the world, as they experienced extraordinary levels of disease, loss, fear and isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. In many countries where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) works – and some in which we normally don’t – the pandemic exacerbated existing … Read more

COVID-19 in India: Fighting misinformation on the frontlines

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By Santosh Choure, Health Promotion Manager, Mumbai Mumbai is still seeing more than 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day. People are scared and many of them don’t prefer to get tested even though they have symptoms, as they’re afraid of being quarantined or hospitalized and separated from their family members. MSF is working in … Read more

COVID-19 in India: “The situation is terrible, but the commitment of the staff is extraordinary

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By Mabel Morales, MSF Medical Coordinator The situation in India and in Mumbai is very bad and critical. We’re providing medical support to one of the COVID-19 treatment centres here in Mumbai with 1,000 beds. There are many, many cases and the last week of April has seen a real increase. The health workers are … Read more

COVID-19 in India: “We’re just not able to find enough nurses”

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By Dilip Bhaskaran, Project Coordinator, Mumbai COVID-19 project We have been collaborating with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to co-manage dedicated Jumbo COVID-19 Care Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). MCGM is doing a great job and we started this collaboration during the first wave providing patient care. Now, during the second wave, … Read more

It’s not only vaccines: Oxygen must be at the heart of the COVID-19 response

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Brussels: In a briefing paper released today, titled “Gasping For Air”, the international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) highlights the importance of placing medical oxygen supply, not only vaccines and PPE, at the heart of a global COVID-19 response. With vaccines unavailable in the majority of countries worldwide, people will continue … Read more