The Medical Mission

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

Doctors Without Borders is a highly regarded private international relief organization that aids victims of armed conflicts, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters and others who lack adequate health care due to social, political and/or economic disorganization. Thus, MSF has a unique mandate to speak out against violations of humanitarian law that the organization may witness in the course of providing medical aid, nutritional assistance and disaster relief.

Doctors Without Borders is to be strongly commended for the extraordinary achievements of its professional staff and volunteer workers who have provided compassionate humanitarian health care assistance to marginalized individuals and populations since MSF was founded in Paris, France, in 1971.

MSF has courageously endeavored to improve the human condition by freely providing humanitarian health, medical care and disaster relief to our brothers and sisters throughout our world for over four decades. Since its founding, MSF has worked to meet the health needs of people too often forgotten by the world. Consistent with its laudable mission, MSF has been willing to courageously respond during national and international conflicts to meet the needs of patients and to aid local health-care workers who have been cut off from assistance in their own countries. MSF volunteers have often valiantly spoken out against genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moreover, MSF advocates for the improvement of food aid to insure that young children in malnutrition hot spots have access to the nutrients they need to be healthy and to resist life-threatening diseases.

MSF received the prestigious international Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in October 1999. This significant event occurred at a time when civilian populations were increasingly targeted in civil wars and when humanitarian principles were under fire. The well-deserved award honors the organization’s national and international relief workers who have provided medical assistance in more than 80 countries. For the MSF workers around the world, this prize indicates that there is a high level of public support for the right to humanitarian assistance, which is so often abridged during times of conflict. The award of this prestigious prize also inspired other individuals, organizations and academic institutions such as The University of Toledo, and the Medical Mission Hall of Fame. The Medical Mission Hall of Fame endeavors to honor the tremendous work and achievements of Doctors Without Borders.