On 16 May people from within and outside MSF will gather in London, joined by online participants from over 100 countries, for this annual ‘conference without borders’ showcasing medical research from fragile and conflict affected settings. All too often the populations MSF and others work with are excluded from the benefits of research. Yet they are the ones that often need these benefits most. So speakers will consider how MSF’s research has impacted the way our projects deliver care, how knowledge gaps can be pivotal to political gatekeeping and to triggering appropriate humanitarian responses, and how identifying best practices and funding innovation are key to improving our capacity to act. Here you can view abstracts for all scientific presentations, which focus on infectious diseases, outbreaks, vaccination, and mortality.

Innovation in preventing, diagnosing and treating drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) cannot come fast enough—especially given the ground lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and with only 1 in 3 people who have DR-TB now receiving care. The content collection linked below offers a snapshot of recent TB work by MSF and collaborators to help change this picture. The TB-PRACTECAL and endTB studies have delivered clear evidence for shorter, safer, more effective treatments against drug-resistant (DR)-TB. Faced with the many hurdles that lie ahead before these and other critical interventions can be widely accessible, other studies investigate patient/family-based models of care adapted to complex settings and neglected groups, including children. Last, several authors explore limited but potentially important options for expanding diagnosis and preventive treatment.

The World Health Organization estimates that 410,000 people developed a drug-resistant tuberculosis infection (DR-TB) in 2022, only 40% of whom were diagnosed and started on treatment—and only 63% then cured. Given all these points of failure, innovation in preventing, diagnosing and treating DR-TB cannot come fast enough. To mark World TB Day (24 March 2024) the content collection linked below highlights recent work by MSF and collaborators to help change this grim picture. The TB-PRACTECAL and endTB studies delivered robust evidence for shorter, safer, more effective drug regimens that are already saving lives worldwide. Other studies explore new approaches to preventive treatment and simpler, quicker, accurate detection of TB and drug resistance—especially among difficult-to-diagnose populations such as children and people living with HIV. But to impact DR-TB globally these innovations must become widely accessible. This requires changes on many fronts, as described in an accompanying Collection (Expanding Access to Lifesaving New TB Tools).