Médecins Du Monde
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''Médecins du monde'' (MdM; ), or Doctors of the World, is an international humanitarian organization which seeks to provide emergency and long-term medical care to the world's most vulnerable people. It also advocates for an end to health inequities. It was founded in 1980 by a group of 15 French physicians, including Bernard Kouchner and Alina Margolis-Edelman (a native of Poland). MdM is active in over 80 countries with approximately 400 programs in both the developed and developing world.


History

MdM was formally established on 1 February 1980. Its goals were "to go where others will not, to testify to the intolerable, and to volunteer". The origins of MdM lay with Médecins Sans Frontières. During the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, the future founding members of MdM were approached with the idea of aiding Vietnamese refugees fleeing by ship on the South China Sea. The majority of the Médecins Sans Frontières were against aiding the Vietnamese refugees. However, Kouchner, along with volunteer doctors, journalists, and others organized a hospital boat, ''L'Île de lumière'' ("The Island of Light"), to provide medical care and to report the refugees' suffering. MdM was founded by Bernard Kouchner and 14 others doctors split from the group he previously founded, Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders). It has been reported Kouchner felt that MSF was giving up its founding principle of ''témoignage'' ("witnessing"), which refers to aid workers making the atrocities they observe known to the public. Kouchner was president of MdM from 1980 to 1982. In 1989, the foundation of MdM Spain paved the way for the creation of the MdM international network. In 2015, the MdM global network consisted of fifteen associations; France (founded 1980), Spain (founded 1989), Greece (founded 1990), Italy and Switzerland (both founded 1993), Sweden (founded 1994),
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
(founded 1995 by Elena Theoharous),
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
(founded 1998), Belgium, Canada and Portugal (all founded 1999), as well as in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States. In December 2013, documents released by National Security Agency whistle blower Edward Snowden revealed that British and American intelligence agencies had been carrying on secret surveillance of several humanitarian organizations including Médecins du Monde. Leigh Daynes, Executive Director of Doctors of the World UK said that he was "bewildered by these extraordinary allegations of secret surveillance. Our doctors, nurses and midwives are not a threat to national security. There is absolutely no reason for our operations to be secretly monitored." Other humanitarian organizations targeted include the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Development Programme, the children's charity
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
, and the head of the Economic Community of West African States.


Chapters


Doctors of the World USA

Doctors of the World USA, also known as MdM USA, was founded in 1990 by Jonathan Mann. The group separated from the MdM network in 2006, and became HealthRight International. Doctors of the World USA is the 15th chapter of the MDM network. It was re-founded by committed humanitarian activists in 2011, with Dr Abby Stoddard as its founding chair. Fraser Mooney, a long-term AIDS and social justice activist, became the organization's Executive Director in 2016.


Doctors of the World UK

In 1998, Doctors of the World UK became a registered charity in England and Wales and initially only contributed to Médecins du Monde international work. It launched its UK Programme in 2006, when they opened a clinic in
Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...
, in east London. The clinic provides information and medical assistance to people who face barriers to access mainstream health services, such as undocumented migrants, asylum seekers and the homeless. In 2018, a successful campaign #StopSharing, contributed to the data sharing memorandum of understanding between NHS Digital and the
Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
, which had been signed as part of the Home Office hostile environment policy,. After the Western African Ebola virus epidemic in 2014, it helped run a treatment centre in Moyamba, Sierra Leone. DOTW UK volunteer Professor Chris Bulstrode was awarded a CBE for his involvement in the Ebola crisis. It is currently providing healthcare for refugees and migrants in several countries in Europe, including Greece and Croatia, and Ukraine. Drs. Chris and Xand van Tulleken, who present the CBBC series '' Operation Ouch!'', were Board Members of DOTW UK until 2018.


Operations

MdM programs focus on four priority areas: Conflict and Crisis, Harm Reduction, Maternal and Child Health, and Migrant Populations. MdM operates in both the developed and developing world, aiding in treatment of refugees, reducing harm long-term, fighting sexually-transmitted diseases, and promoting sexual health and mental wellness. In 2018, Doctors of the World (MdM) provided care in 79 countries with over 300 programs in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.


Finances

In 2018, the Doctors of the World international network had a budget of some 250 million euros, and provided services to more than 6.5 million people worldwide. It allocated 78.5% of its budget to programs.15.5% to fundraising, and 6% to operating expenses. The organization is analyzed regularly by an independent committee to examine the operations of MdM and the allocation of their finances. In depth audits of MdM are done by the French government and Deloitte.


See also

* Couverture maladie universelle (CMU) * GlobalMedic * Médecins Sans Frontières


References


External links


Doctors of the World USA

Doctors of the World UK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medecins Du Monde International medical and health organizations International charities Health charities in France Organizations established in 1980 1980 establishments in France