MSF Scientific Days Asia 2024

Viral hepatitis is a significant cause of disease and death globally. Yet powerful new medical tools to combat hepatitis C and E still reach only a tiny fraction of people who desperately need them, especially in low-resource and emergency settings.

To mark World Hepatitis Day (July 28th) we highlight recent MSF research on making these breakthrough products more widely accessible and simpler to use.

For hepatitis C, where groundbreaking antiviral drugs can cure nearly all patients, MSF is developing comprehensive, community-based models of care that offer rapid screening, diagnosis, and treatment under one roof. In some settings programs focus on the specific needs of highly vulnerable populations, such as people living in remote areas, forcibly displaced refugees, or those co-infected with HIV or TB or who inject drugs.

Turning to prevention, MSF is exploring ways to use the Hepatitis E vaccine more effectively in areas where poor sanitation and water quality regularly lead to outbreaks. Studies in a South Sudanese camp for internally displaced people are strengthening evidence for the vaccine’s feasibility, efficacy, safety and community acceptance, especially for pregnant women and their fetuses. Another report analyzes strategies for overcoming barriers to widespread vaccine adoption.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) impact nearly 1.7 billion people each year, causing serious illness or lifelong disability among many—often leading to stigma and exclusion—and killing an estimated 200,000. The vast majority of sufferers live in the world’s poorest countries.

The World Health Organization’s NTD roadmap 2021-2030 aims to address 20 tropical diseases through prevention, control, elimination, and/or eradication. But despite some progress, reaching all its targets will take better, far more accessible diagnostics and treatments along with more robust strategies, political commitment and resources.

To mark World NTD Day, this collection spotlights work by MSF and collaborators on improving approaches to snakebite envenoming, kala azar and noma. One study presents an innovative artificial intelligence-based snakebite diagnostic tool, while others evaluate shorter, less toxic drug regimens or different models of care. Several commentaries advocate for national/regional strategies adapted to contexts ranging from remote villages to active conflict zones. Another crucial factor is the climate crisis, which is intensifying the transmission and geographic spread of many NTDs.

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.