Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that is also private and not-for-profit. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 70 countries (across Africa, Americas, Asia and the Causcasus, Europe and The Middle East). It helps people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.

In countries where health structures are insufficient or even non-existant, MSF collaborates with authorities such as the Ministry of Health to provide assistance. MSF works in rehabilitation of hospitals and dispensaries, vaccination programmes and water and sanitation projects. MSF also works in remote health care centres, slum areas and provides training of local personnel. All this is done with the objective of rebuilding health structures to acceptable levels.

It is comprised of nineteen main national sections in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Additionally, there is the international office in Geneva and a branch office in South Africa.