Médecins du Monde is an international humanitarian association which for 25 years has relied on the commitment of its members (healthcare professionals) to bring relief to the most vulnerable populations, in France and throughout the world
Médecins du Monde’s primary mission is to provide medical care. The association’s volunteers are committed to helping all vulnerable populations: victims of natural disasters, famines, diseases (epidemic or endemic, especially Aids), victims of armed conflict, political violence, refugees, displaced persons, minorities, street children, drug users, and all people with no access to healthcare.
We know that there is no healing without justice, no lasting aid without social laws. To be effective, Médecins du Monde’s mission goes beyond simply providing healthcare: based on its medical practice and with total independence, Médecins du Monde speaks out against impeded access to healthcare and violations of human rights and dignity. The organisation is involved in discussions with political authorities to improve conditions for civilian populations. Médecins du Monde fights injustice in all its forms. Whatever its origin.
An Emergency Project can be defined as the provision of aid making it possible to meet needs that are essential to the survival of the population in distress.
A crisis is a contextual breakdown that has a major medical impact on populations. Four types of crisis may be identified: health crises (Aids, epidemics), political crises that generate violence (Afghanistan, Iraq, Guinea etc), economic crises that impede access to healthcare (Maquilas, ARV access) and environmental crises (nuclear etc).
Long-term missions make it possible to provide sustainable solutions to the impact of poverty on health.
Setting up and financing a project, tracking and monitoring its implementation, and finally, knowing when to leave… Each stage has its own set of rules and principles.
Before a new Médecins du Monde mission begins, an assessment is carried out on-site. This is an area in which the association has acquired a high level of expertise. If the decision is taken to intervene, the Executive Committee appoints a mission leader who defines the policy for medical aid and bearing witness, the duration of the future project, and criteria for its preparation and conclusion. In cases of extreme urgency, the exploratory stage may be omitted.
The mission leader (a volunteer doctor residing in France, with solid field experience) sets the objectives of the mission, the frequency of assessments and performance indicators. In cooperation with head office departments, (s)he forms a team and appoints an on-site mission co-ordinator.
For emergency missions, the intervention relies initially on the association’s own financial resources. The “Desk”, (the department responsible for monitoring the project from the head office) then looks for financial backing from international donors, companies and regional authorities.
The mission leader and Desk monitor the progress reports (weekly for emergency missions and monthly for development missions). They visit the location regularly to assess and, if necessary, adapt activities to on-site conditions. On the basis of their reports, Médecins du Monde’s Executive Committee decides to modify or discontinue the mission. Mission finances are monitored monthly on the basis of information provided by the administrator.
All missions, whether for emergencies or for development, must come to an end. The association plans for departure well in advance. There are strict procedures for ending Médecins du Monde missions, which include early briefing of beneficiaries and local partners, transferring skills to local workers, and equipment management. Systematic evaluation procedures assess the effectiveness of the mission against the benchmark of initial objectives and local sustainability.
This debriefing process helps Médecins du Monde to capitalize on this experience.
The strength of their commitment
All Médecins du Monde missions rely on the commitment of volunteers: doctors, nurses, lab technicians, psychologists, jurists, managers, logistics experts etc.
The involvement of members of the medical and paramedical professions is the result of a deliberate professional and ethical choice.
Because Médecins du Monde has put testimony at the heart of its policy, communication is an essential element of the missions.
At all times, Médecins du Monde’s Communications Department is able to inform its partners (donors, the media, institutions etc) about the most recent developments in the field.
The Logistics Department manages purchases of medicines, consumables and medical equipment, emergency aid products (blankets, tents etc.), vehicles and telecommunications equipment. It also deals with the transport of these products. To do this it has several warehouses (in Roissy for non-medical equipment and at MSF Logistics in Bordeaux for medical equipment) where a sufficient amount of intervention kits and products are stored to deal with different types of disaster, and send equipment in an emergency (within 48 hours). The logistics department also offers technical support to teams in the field.
Other purchases are made on a need-only basis, and suppliers are selected in France or abroad that meet its requirements for competitiveness, responsiveness and quality. An estimate is requested from the various suppliers for each order, or a call for tenders is made.