Issue #3
Triple Whammy.
Welcome to our (holiday special) third and final issue of 2024! 2025 is just around the corner and we have BIG plans for next year so stay tuned đâŠ
Thank YOU reader for sticking with us until now, the newsletter statistics have shown that not as many of you read the 2nd issue as much as the 1st one, so hopefully this can make a comeback! As always, any feedback is welcome and please donât forget to share this to any of your friends who may be interested (and havenât subscribed already!). The first few issues, episodes, novels - the first few of anything is the most important part of a creatorâs journey as itâs what instils confidence in them that people actually want to consume their content đ.
Wishing everyone (in advance) a Merry Christmas (Xmas) and a Happy New Year!
Fun Factâïžâ the MSF Santa in the City Run (4.5km through Millennium Bridge) is happening as youâre reading this right now! Runners are provided with a 5-piece Santa Suit đ and the run is purely for MSF fundraising!
MSF Now
News Spotlight #1 - Living conditions in Gaza having Devastating Effects on Health
Project Updateâïžâ MSF continue to provide lifesaving care where itâs needed most
In the âhumanitarian zoneâ in Gaza where displaced people are cramped, MSF provides neonatal, obstetric, and paediatric care at three healthcare clinics and in Nasser hospital. Between June and October 2024, 3,421 babies and children under five years old were treated by MSF at the inpatient paediatric ward in Nasser hospital, with almost a quarter related to diarrhoea and 8.9% to meningitis.
Read the full story đ here đ
News Spotlight #2 - Supporting Local Communities: Lifesaving HIV Care in Mozambique
One of MSFs (many!) projects is supporting local healthcare providers with vital HIV care. On top of treating patients directly and educating them on the importance of adhering to their antiretroviral treatment, there are other clever and impactful roles that MSF play in these communitiesâŠ.
Cristina VirgĂlio is a âmĂŁe mentoraâ (mothersâ mentor - thereâs your daily Portugueseđ), who runs awareness sessions for HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers to help them prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. These prevention methods are another essential way MSF is working to keep communities healthy in the long term đ
âI have children who were born healthy,â says Cristina. âFor example, my daughter is HIV-negative, sheâs growing up well, and this year sheâll turn 13. Itâs possible to have healthy children when you follow the proper treatment.â
Read the full story đ here đ
News Spotlight #3 - Providing holistic care to Ukraineâs war injured
MSF just opened a brand new centre which offers physiotherapy, psychological therapy and more critically, complex care associated with mutilated limbs and long-term traumatic injuries.
~300,000 people have been registered as living with living disabilities, in Ukraine, since the escalation.
This rapid increase in healthcare demand has put additional stress on not only the countryâs own healthcare system, but MSF workers. Injuries take time and a great deal of effort to effectively progress towards recovery and in Ukraine, many live in fear and uncertainty everyday. Some patients undergo dozens of surgeries in a short time span, warranting the need for adequate mental health supervision and support. Injuries from blasts are very common - resulting in patients losing parts or entire limbs⊠life-long repercussions that are for the most part, irreversible.
But we can help.
Under such strain, MSF doctors and associated (humanitarian) healthcare workers are in greater need than ever before for your support - every donation counts.
Read the full story đ here đ
Story of the Month
Fighting Mosquitos with⊠Mosquitos?
Youâve heard the saying, âfight fire with fireâ, but have you ever seen it? 1 MSF team did exactly that - to combat the highly endemic dengue in El ManchĂ©n, a suburb of Honduras' capital city Tegucigalpa.
Today, there is still no definite treatment for dengue all around the world. This is where innovation comes into playâŠ
This year alone, >9200 cases of dengue fever have been reported in the capital of Honduras alone.
If you havenât heard of this amazing technique already - it involves manipulating a harmless bacteria known as Wolbachia. Wolbachia is present in 50% of all insects and is known to reduce the incidence of other diseases/infections, including dengue. However, Wolbachia is not typically present in mosquitos with dengue, zika and other viruses endemic to Honduras. And so, 1 MSF team got to work in breeding and releasing over 8 million "Wolbachia-infusedâ mosquitos into the skies of El ManchĂ©n, with the hope of introducing a powerful change to the gene pool - previously dominated by dengue-infused mosquitos. The idea is that Wolbachia mosquitos reproduce enough such that there is eventually a net decrease in the number of dengue infections in El ManchĂ©n, as Wolbachia mosquitos tend to not infect humans with dengue.
This brilliant method has proven to be effective in 13 other countries thus far⊠but is it working this time?
El ManchĂ©n, one year later â Just this month, it was found that there have been fewer cases than previous years and lower rates compared to other areas of the city, with 85.7% of mosquitos tested as carriers of Wolbachia! However, âIt's still too early to claim victoryâ, says Edgard Boquin (coordinator of the project)
Read the full story đ here đ
Want to keep up with the latest MSF news yourself? Subscribe to MSF Frontline here.
Upcoming Events
Speaker Event - Stories of a Surgeon in Palestine
Date â 9th December @ 18:30
Venue â LT3, Medical School (*subject to change - follow updates on our Instagram/Whatsapp!)
Christmas Fun Run
Date â 10th December (exact time TBD â check for updates!)
Venue â University Park Campus (exact venue for run TBD â check for updates!)
Theme â Christmas Outfit (wear a festive outfit for the run đ )
Non-FoMSF Events - Wanna Get Even More Involved?
The Phoenix Project - University of Nottingham Medical School National Volunteering Opportunity!
Hereâs a message relayed from The Phoenix Project themselves so read below if you havenât seen it already :) Deadline to apply for positions is 13th December 2024.
Hi everyone!! The Phoenix Project is a charity set up by Notts Med School to help refugee doctors qualify to work in the NHS.
We:
â Provide tuition for doctors to help pass their medical English proficiency exams (OET)
â Provide funding for our participants to take their exams
â Raise awareness for the challenges faced by displaced doctors in the UK
The Phoenix Project is looking for dedicated students to help teach our participants and a national Publicity Officer!!! These roles require no medical knowledge or training - you learn everything once you start with us!! All you need is an interest in helping the refugee community.
The charity gives you certificates every 3 months that you are a part of the team, as well as prizes every month and termly dinners out with the rest of the teachers in Nottingham - itâs a great community that weâd love for you to be a part of đđđđđ€
Apply HERE - but read the role descriptions first! (deadline = 13/12/24)
OET* Teacher
attending a training workshop to become qualified as an OET teacher within the charity
arrange and deliver weekly teaching sessions with your allocated participant
provide homework for your participant each week and mark this homework before your next session
work within your teaching group to ensure that your participant is receiving high-quality and comprehensive teaching in line with their OET goals
write teaching resources
Publicity Officer
rebranding of the charity's social media platforms - Instagram, Linkedin, and the website
design fun and engaging posts for social media platforms
manage and maintain the TPP website
Regular attendance at committee meetings
*OET = occupational english test
FoMSF Christmas Social
All are welcome to a hybrid Christmas social event hosted by FoMSF⊠so whatâs lined up?
Talk on Innovation at MSF â details TBD
Showcase your semester! â hear FoMSF committee members all around the UK share and discuss their fundraising and social efforts over the past few months, you never know when youâll be inspired to do something!
And of course, drinks and snacks đȘ
Date â Tuesday, 17th December, 17:30-20:00
Venue â MSF UK Office, Lower Ground Floor, Chancery Exchange, 10 Furnival Street, EC4A 1AB + online
Socials
This is still only our 3rd issue ever so please give us feedback (drop a comment!) or if you simply enjoyed the read, like/share the post :)
Remember, âindependence, neutrality and impartialityâ ~ Nishant and Yasir
See you in the next one! đ©ș