MSF Scientific Days International 2024

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.

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Healthcare needs of older people in humanitarian settings

Globally, the number of older people is rapidly increasing, with those aged 60+ expected to more than double by 2050—yet in humanitarian crises, they remain one of the most neglected groups. Older adults often face higher risks due to chronic illnesses, mobility issues, and limited access to appropriate care, especially in low-resource or emergency settings. Despite these needs, humanitarian responses rarely prioritize them, and data on their health and mortality are often lacking.

This collection reflects MSF’s ongoing examination of its own data and practices to identify pathways toward more age-inclusive services in humanitarian crises. It includes analysis of data from MSF-supported mental health services, inpatient departments, and sexual violence services, and further offers several calls to action and reflections on why older people remain overlooked in humanitarian crises. However, MSF also acknowledges major challenges remain, including inadequate age-inclusive services, data gaps, and the need for more geriatric expertise.

Watch this space for more publications from a Lancet Healthy Longevity series on healthcare rights and needs of older people.

While Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is known mostly for providing direct medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health services, we also conduct research aimed at improving patient care and advocating for evidence-based policy and practices. To this end we conduct hundreds of research studies each year, publish extensively in peer-reviewed journals, and present our findings at scientific conferences around the world, including several annual MSF-organized events.

With the MSF Science Portal we introduce a new platform that aims to be a « one-stop shop » for content related to this work, so that users anywhere can easily find, browse, access, share and use the knowledge our research generates. Alongside frequent updates of new publications, conference materials, reports and featured content, we will continue to develop this site and to expand its range of content. To learn more about the Portal and what it offers, check out the short videos and slide presentation in this collection.

The American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting is an international forum for the exchange of scientific and clinical advances in tropical medicine, hygiene and global health. The scientific content this year is 53% microbe focused, 15% clinically focused, 13% vector focused, 13% globally focused, and 6% intervention focused.

MSF and Epicentre are presenting on access and other challenges for children with visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, hurdles in malaria diagnostic testing, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare in conversations about financial sustainability.

This collection features research authored by the presenters and other topics highlighted at ASTMH.

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Healthcare needs of older people in humanitarian settings

MSF Science Portal

ASTMH Annual Meeting 2024

A novel personal protective equipment for filovirus outbreaks: a usability study under simulated field conditions