As the drought continues in the Horn of Africa, the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team has been responding to a malnutrition crisis in Illeret, Marsabit county, Kenya.

With one third of Illeret’s children under five years of age malnourished, since mid-March MSF has been working with community health educators and volunteers in support of the Kenyan health authorities to strengthen the integrated management of acute malnutrition. 

In 2022, MSF teams around the world continued to respond to crises, old and new. While COVID-19 was not the emergency it was in previous years, new challenges arose. The war in Ukraine escalated in February; the political, humanitarian and economic crises in Haiti deteriorated severely; cholera emerged on an exceptional scale in several countries. 

In Kenya, stigma influences how mental health is addressed. For persons who use drugs and adolescents and young marginalised and vulnerable people, stigma and discrimination lead to not only social exclusion but also a public health crisis. 

Charles, Tobeka, Din, Nandita, and baby ‘Janey’. Four of these people have struggled for their lives. One of them has lost her life. All because pharma companies put profits before people.

Australian Hazel Singh worked on an assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2019. She reflects on her role as a Human Resources Manager, helping staff in our projects to improve their skills, knowledge and experience.