Adapting essential care programs to Covid-19 pandemic times

The endTB project aims to find shorter, less toxic and more effective treatments for ‘multidrug-resistant TB’ (MDR-TB) through:

• access to new drugs
• two clinical trials
• advocacy at national and global levels

Covering 18 countries, the project is a partnership between Partners In Health, Médecins Sans Frontières, Interactive Research & Development and financial partners Unitaid and the Transformational Investment Capacity (TIC) of MSF. This collection contains the final and intermediate results of the studies, advocacy reports, and study presentations. For more information about the endTB project, visit https://endtb.org/.

Globally, the number of older people is rapidly increasing, with those aged 60+ expected to more than double by 2050—yet in humanitarian crises, they remain one of the most neglected groups. Older adults often face higher risks due to chronic illnesses, mobility issues, and limited access to appropriate care, especially in low-resource or emergency settings. Despite these needs, humanitarian responses rarely prioritize them, and data on their health and mortality are often lacking.

This collection reflects MSF’s ongoing examination of its own data and practices to identify pathways toward more age-inclusive services in humanitarian crises. It includes analysis of data from MSF-supported mental health services, inpatient departments, and sexual violence services, and further offers several calls to action and reflections on why older people remain overlooked in humanitarian crises. However, MSF also acknowledges major challenges remain, including inadequate age-inclusive services, data gaps, and the need for more geriatric expertise.

Watch this space for more publications from a Lancet Healthy Longevity series on healthcare rights and needs of older people.