Doctors Without Borders

The international humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders or the French Doctors, is dedicated to providing medical care to suffering people across the world (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica 2014). The organization aims to help people who lack access to adequate medical resources or treatment, such as victims of political violence or victims of natural disasters. These doctors operate in almost eighty countries across the glove, mostly in the Third World (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica 2014). Their mission is “to help victims everywhere without any concerns for political rights or borders” (Aeberhard 1996, 38).

In 1973, Médecins Sans Frontiéres was founded by thirteen French physicians and journalists who were frustrated with the neutrality of the International Red Cross (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica 2014). These founding members all volunteered with the Red Cross during the Biafra War, and pledged to abstain form all communications and comments on its mission. However, they broke their pledge because they believed that the problem in Biafra was political, not medical (Aeberhard 1996, 38). Upon return to France, they advocated for the innocent women and children who were suffering in Biafra, and created a Committee for the Struggle Against Genocide in Biafra (Aeberhard 1996, 39). In the aftermath of the Biafra War, these same doctors established a not-for-profit organization called Médecins Sans Frontiéres. The goal of the organization was to intervene in both domestic and international conflicts and to speak out against human rights violations across the globe. They established a small office in Paris, run by volunteers and funded through donations.

The purpose of MSF was to serve as an alternative to the International Red Cross, which the founders considered to be ineffective because of its neutrality. They believed that the need to provide medical assistance to suffering peoples transcends borders, and that political injustice across the world must be campaigned against. Consequently, MSF has asserted its independence from all governments and lobbyists, and does not accept any donations from these groups (Dorozynski 1991, 1592). In their charter, MSF outlines its objective to “bring help to all victims of natural catastrophe, collective accidents, and belligerent situations, without discrimination of race, politics, religion, or philosophy” (Dorozynski 1991, 1591). Towards this end, volunteers for MSF travel to conflict zones across the world, risking their lives and breaking national laws to help victims. Examples of their international humanitarian work include relief to earthquake victims in Nicaragua, medical assistance to individuals in Honduras, and treatment of wounded civilians in the Lebanon War (Dorozynski 1991, 1591).

In order to gain credibility in France and abroad, Médecins Sans Frontiéres organized a national publicity campaign to gain the attention of the French people and attract more donations. This campaign was incredibly successful at attracting money and volunteers. By 1989, only sixteen years after its founding, MSF had over 200 physicians and other personnel serving across the world. These volunteers were not just of French descent; the organization consists of people from over 30 different countries (Dorozynski 1991, 1592). The international reputation of MSF has led to a number of prestigious collaborations with organizations like the World Health Organization, the United Nation’s High Commission for refugees, and even the International Red Cross (Dorozynski 1991, 1591). The high demand for medical aid from Médecins Sans Frontiéres has resulted in them applying an “ethics of high emergency” in order to decide which conflicts require the most immediate assistance (Aeberhard 1996, 38).

This prioritization of resources is one of the main ethical problems with Médecins Sans Frontiéres, according to Peter Redfield. In his book “Life in Crisis: The Ethical Journey of Doctors Without Borders,” Redfield analyzes the humanitarian mission of MSF through an anthropological lens (Redfield 2013, 3). The central question of the books centers on what happens when an idyllic goal like the one held by this organization is applied in reality. There are a lot of complications involved in trying to practice medicine on a global scale, complications that are both ethical and technical in nature. An example of a complication involves payment of volunteers (Redfield 2013, 143). If the organization were to pay its volunteers too much, they positions may seem lucrative and therefore ethically questionable. On the other hand, if the volunteers are not paid, only those who are wealthy enough to support themselves independently can be involved. Thus, in order to remain to recruit the most ethical and devoted volunteers, the organization must strike a balance in payment. Another ethical issues revolves around the communication barriers inherent in a global organization. Redialed claims that real care requires communication and understanding, not just immediate medical treatment (Redfield 2013, 23). He argues in the book that MSF devalues long-term knowledge and care because it pays little attention to the local language or history. These are just two of the many complications that Peter Redfield cites in his analysis of  Médecins Sans Frontiéres. Though he acknowledges the noble vision of the organization and its strong belief in human equality, diversity, and anti-colonialism, he looks at its humanitarianism with a critical eye and acknowledges its limitations. References

Aeberhard, Patrick. 1996. “A Historical Survey of Humanitarian Action” Health and Human Rights 2 (1): 30-44. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4065234.

Dorozynski, Alexander. 1991. “Médecins Sans Frontiéres: 20 Years Old” British Medical Journal 303 (6817): 1591-1592. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29714051.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 2014. “Doctors Without Borders” Encyclopedia Britannica website, October 24. Accessed April 9, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Doctors-Without-Borders.

Redfield, Peter. 2013. Life in Crisis: The Ethical Journey of Doctors Without Borders. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.