Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121889

Christophe Fournier, MD, Program Director, Doctors Without Borders, 333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001-5004, 212-679-6800, Christophe.Fournier@newyork.msf.org

The backbone of MSF's preparedness consists of three basic sectors, comprehensive logistical support, human resources, monitoring, and financial independence. MSF's large-scale logistical capacity ensures that the organization's emergency teams hit the ground with the specialized medical kits and equipment they need to start saving lives immediately. This support is based in large warehousing facilities both in Europe and pre-positioned in regions or countries where MSF is working. In addition to the MSF aid workers present in nearly 70 countries, the organization maintains teams of highly experienced staff who remain on call for deployment to emergencies worldwide. MSF relies heavily on monitoring and assessing crisis-prone areas so that the organization can anticipate and detect emergency needs in its early stages, and mobilize resources quickly when humanitarian emergencies develop.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss strategies developed by Doctors Without Borders/Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF) to prepare for and respond to humanitarian emergencies.
• Describe how MSF’s strong logistical support, experienced emergency response teams, and financial independence facilitate a quick response anywhere in the world.
• Discuss the ongoing need for monitoring and assessment in crisis-prone areas to help detect emergency needs and mobilize resources quickly when humanitarian emergencies develop.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.