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Resistance to antibiotics is a growing public health crisis, especially in countries with fragile health systems and in regions at war. One key limitation in most of these settings is a lack of clinical bacteriology laboratory capacity, which leaves medical providers without ways to accurately diagnose patient infections and to tailor antibiotic treatment accordingly. To help fill this critical gap, MSF and partners have developed the Mini-Lab—a small-scale, standalone lab that is easy to transport, set up and operate by staff after only a short training. Its six modules are stocked with everything needed to diagnose common bloodstream and urinary tract infections and to perform antibiotic sensitivity testing using methods adapted to extremely hot climates and remote settings. With Mini-Lab now being rolled out to selected MSF projects, here we highlight the background to its development and some of the research behind the bacteriological tests it incorporates.

Unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal death, and the only one that is completely preventable. Yet over 30 million unsafe abortions occur each year, leading to at least 29,000 deaths and millions of serious complications—nearly all in low- and middle-income countries. MSF teams see these tragic consequences first-hand, treating thousands of patients every year with severe, potentially life-threatening effects from unsafe abortion.

To mark International Safe Abortion Awareness Day (28 September 2024), this Collection presents highlights of MSF’s work on safe abortion care (SAC) as a way to reduce maternal death and injury. By re-assessing and reshaping how our projects deliver SAC in fragile and conflict-affected settings, we have been able to significantly expand services in those contexts and across MSF projects globally. In parallel, we also conducted in-depth studies of abortion complications and their contributing factors in fragile settings, where a dearth of evidence limits understanding of women's needs in accessing comprehensive care. These findings are helping to identify gaps in service delivery and inform operational decision-making.

"Clean hands, safe care" is the theme of this year's World Hand Hygiene Day. At MSF, we know that Hand Hygiene is the simplest and best way to prevent the transmission of infections in our facilities. This collection features some lessons learned about hand hygiene and infection, prevention, & control (IPC) in MSF projects, especially in resource-constrained environments in the Sahel, and in the era of COVID-19.

Burn injuries represent a challenge in the Gaza Strip, where access to rehabilitation services is constrained by ongoing conflict and limited healthcare resources. This study describe...

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Mini-Lab—MSF's simplified bacteriology laboratory for low-res...

Safe abortion care at MSF

World Hand Hygiene Day 2023

Reconsidering the rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine during the 2026 Bundibugyo virus outbreak

Post-surgical scar management and rehabilitation in burn patients: Insights from Gaza’s challenging context - A retrospective descriptive study

First culture-confirmed melioidosis case in Mozambique: A wakeup call for better diagnostics and clinical awareness

Shotgun metagenomic analysis of the oral microbiomes of children with noma

The effects of armed conflict on children and adolescents: Policy statement

Risk stratification of childhood infection using host markers of immune and endothelial activation in Asia (Spot Sepsis): a multi-country, prospective, cohort study