Issue #6
The Sixth Sense.
Hope everyone’s had a great Easter and spring break so far! The pre-clinical medics are revising for their finals and that includes me - hence why this issue took a bit longer than usual to publish 😅, as I wanted to maintain the quantity and quality. Short intro, but jump in to a full-fledged issue with an announcement of a BIG upcoming event so stay tuned! 🙌
Monthly Recap
FoMSF Annual Conference 2025 - Saturday 22nd March
What an eventful and productive day! Friends of MSF committee members (and members!) from all around the UK joined together for the 2nd major FoMSF national event of the year, the annual conference held in a brand new venue! With inspiring speeches from MSF doctors with experiences from Bangladesh to Gaza, insightful reports of struggles in delivering humanitarian aid and cutting-edge research, and a guided walkthrough of applying to work with MSF; this jam-packed conference day was definitely something you didn’t want to miss!
With a theme of “responding to emergencies” - we were given a choice to attend 1/3 interactive workshops: (1) forecasting malaria outbreaks using climate modelling, (2) optimising humanitarian crisis communications using social media and (3) an interactive humanitarian negotiation turn-based card game. I got the chance to participate in the card game - and while initially complex, it turned out to be a real learning experience for all of us involved, and it taught me a lot about the difficulties in addressing humanitarian issues… you can’t please everyone!
Here are some highlights from the day (I’m holding the red MSF money bucket and wearing our merch! 😆):
If this type of congregation intrigues you - join us next time! Members are always welcome, and MSF will reimburse you for your travel*.
Lawyers v. Medics Pub Quiz - Thursday 27th March
A unique and COLLABORATIVE fundraising success - we raised £112 in just one night, big thank YOU to everyone who attended! Here’s a collage of every team present that night:
Our president (24/25) Rhea - bottom-right 🥳
Special thanks to Lawyers Without Borders - go give them a follow on Instagram!
Story of the Month
MSF Emergency: Earthquake Response in Myanmar
On March 28 2025, a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar 🇲🇲, with official figures reporting >3,300 deaths and >4,000 injuries.
The response? MSF is providing medical care, essential supplies and even psychological support to affected communities 🚑. For example in Mandalay, MSF installed emergency water tanks, extra handwashing basins, and reinforced waste management with dozens of bins where hospitals were badly damaged:
MSF have worked in Myanmar since 1992 and all their current staff dealing with the earthquake are accounted for and safe.
Read the full story 👉 here 👈 to find out more!
MSF Now
News Spotlight #1 - One-Hundred and One Babies… A Day
In one of the busiest maternity wards in the world, an all-female Obs-Gyn team in Khost, Afghanistan is delivering up to 100 babies a day — yes, daily.
This isn’t just an impressive stat. It’s happening in a context of incredibly limited maternal healthcare access, high maternal mortality rates, and growing restrictions on women — the latter being with respect to both patients and health workers. The Khost maternity unit has become a rare safe space where Afghan women can both receive AND provide critical care. And they’re not just managing; they’re running a high-volume, high-stakes obstetric service with emergency response capacity, surgical teams, and neonatal care!
The unit manages multiple 24/7 operations, averaging 3000+ births per month
💬 What’s particularly incredible is how the team is navigating restrictions, cultural barriers, and limited resources while still delivering high-quality care; including emergency C-sections, neonatal support, and 24/7 triage. Thus, this story serves as a brilliant example of how MSF adapts to local sociocultural dynamics - and how women-led teams can thrive even under extreme constraints.
Read the full story 👉 here 👈 to find out more!
News Spotlight #2 - When Humanitarian Workers Become Targets
On April 8 (few weeks ago), MSF confirmed the death of its 11th staff member in Gaza since October 2023, Hussam Al Loulou, along with his wife and daughter in an airstrike.
The tragedy is part of a disturbing pattern. On March 23, 15 emergency workers including paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent and a UN staff member were killed near Rafah. Their convoy of clearly marked ambulances was shelled. This sparked wide outrage after video footage from one of the medics’ phones showed flashing emergency lights at the time of the attack, contradicting initial Israeli claims that the vehicles were unmarked or suspicious.
This came just weeks after an Israeli airstrike killed 7 World Central Kitchen aid workers - including citizens of Australia, Poland, UK, and Palestine - despite their convoy being pre-cleared and GPS-tracked.
These are not isolated incidents - they follow a pattern of targeting hospitals and humanitarians.
Read the full story 👉 here 👈 to find out more!
News Spotlight #3 - Animated Map of War in South Sudan
A bit of a different spotlight this time… not directly related to MSF! I wanted to shed more light on global humanitarian news - maybe dedicate 1 or 2 spotlights each issue for it, because it’s equally important.
If you're looking to broaden your global perspective beyond the wards — Al Jazeera is a brilliant (and free!) resource covering underreported health crises, humanitarian emergencies, and geopolitical shifts that shape ever-changing public health policies.
🌍 From conflict zones to climate health, their informative articles and on-the-ground reporting make it super relevant for medics who want to stay globally aware and ethically engaged.
So, it’s been over 2 years since the fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the numbers are honestly heartbreaking 💔. In terms of casualties, they’ve officially recorded ~33,000 deaths, but the actual number is probably much higher when you factor in malnutrition, disease, and the collapse of healthcare systems. They’ve created an animated map detailing the conflict geographically, check it out via the link below.
More than 14 million have been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing conflict.
From a medical perspective, it's rough. Hospital admissions for malnutrition jumped by 44% in 2024, and >400,000 kids needed treatment. Too many hospitals have either been attacked or shut down, and there’s even been recruitment of child soldiers. It’s being called one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises right now.
From April 2023 to March 2025, attacks were averaging 16 per day - still less than the number of pomodoro breaks you take when revising…
💭 For us as medics-in-training, it’s a harsh but important reminder: healthcare doesn't exist in a vacuum. Conflict and instability have massive ripple effects on disease, access to healthcare, equity, and mortality - and we have to remain informed, even when the media spotlight moves on ❤️🩹.
Read the full story 👉 here 👈 to find out more!
Upcoming Events
Charity Football Tournament
IT’S BACK! Our annual charity football tournament with @numedicsfc is on !! ⚽️
Spaces are limited so fill out the form to secure the space for your team now! There is a £3 donation pp, with teams of up to 10 people.
Want to play but don’t have a full team? No worries! Fill out the form as an individual and we will add you to our FoMSF team :))
Please feel free to message us if you have any questions, we can’t wait to see you. All entry fees will go directly to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and there will be a bake sale too 🧁❤️
Sign up HERE !!
Date → Saturday 31st May 13:00-16:30
Venue → David Ross Sports Village
FoMSF 25/26 Annual General Meeting [AGM]
Thinking of applying to committee next year 🤔?? We’re looking for anyone enthusiastic about our mission, fundraising and involvement in the nation-wide FoMSF community! Apply HERE to join next year’s committee.
The committee is looking forward to see and read everyone’s applications 🙌 - please read the role descriptions and ensure you have a membership if you are running for committee.
Date → Monday 12th May
Venue → TBC
Speaker Event - TBC [INSTAGRAM]
Date → TBC
Venue → TBC
Socials
Remember, “independence, neutrality and impartiality” ~ Nishant and Yasir
See you in the next one! 🩺