OUR EXPLORATIONS

The exploration phase is the starting point—the birthplace of ideas that can later evolve into concrete solutions to improve medical care in the field.

Most of the time, it is MSF teams—whether from the medical department or operations—who reach out to us when faced with a complex challenge. A situation where existing solutions are not enough, where innovation is needed, where different actors must be coordinated, and where sometimes, taking risks is necessary to develop a product or service truly adapted to the realities on the ground.

At MSF Foundation, our role is to analyze this challenge from every angle:

✅ What are the specific needs of both the teams and the patients?
✅ What existing solutions are available, and why are they not suitable?
✅ What added value can we bring through our expertise and partnerships?

This is in-depth work that requires time and resources. We conduct thorough research, analyze scientific literature, explore innovations from other sectors, and identify potential partners—whether from the private sector, academia, or other NGOs.

If our exploration leads to a viable solution, we then structure a project: defining a budget, securing partners, setting up a steering committee, and, of course, ensuring the engagement of MSF teams, who will be on the front line to implement it.

INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES

A Public Health Challenge

MSF is seeing a steady increase in diabetes consultations across its projects. Yet, major inequalities persist: in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a 10-year-old child with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has an average life expectancy of just 13 years, compared to 65 years in high-income countries. The high cost of insulin and blood glucose monitoring devices severely limits access to care, forcing some patients to travel long distances multiple times a day for treatment—often at the risk of their safety.

In these settings, insulin and monitoring tools are often not covered by public health systems, and clinicians do not always receive the necessary training to manage this complex disease.

MSF’s Commitment

In response to these challenges, MSF is developing a care model that promotes patient autonomy through several key initiatives:

Medical training and patient education

In partnership with the NGO Santé Diabète, MSF is developing educational tools to improve healthcare workers’ training and raise patient awareness about managing their condition.

Improving access to treatment

MSF is introducing widely used devices from high-income countries, such as insulin pens and glucometers that allow at-home monitoring.

These initiatives are currently being tested in the field, particularly in Carnot (Central African Republic) and Aweil (South Sudan), where virtual and in-person training sessions have already significantly improved clinicians' knowledge of insulin-dependent diabetes. However, managing this disease remains particularly challenging in unstable contexts, where poverty and food insecurity exacerbate the difficulties.

The Role of MSF Foundation: Innovating for Adapted Solutions

To go further, the MSF Foundation is exploring new approaches to make diabetes care more accessible and better suited to field realities. With its expertise in managing innovative projects and bringing together diverse stakeholders, the Foundation plays a key role in identifying and developing groundbreaking solutions.

One area of focus is the shortage of specialized clinicians. The Foundation is exploring the potential of a clinical decision-support tool that could analyze glucometer readings and provide therapeutic recommendations, helping healthcare workers adjust treatments effectively. This hypothesis now requires validation.

Currently, the MSF Foundation is conducting in-depth research to:

Identify challenges in diabetes management across different operational contexts.
Assess existing solutions and their adaptability to MSF environments.
Determine the conditions for developing or partnering on a concrete project.

If this initiative moves forward, a structured project will be launched with MSF teams' engagement, Board support, an allocated budget, a dedicated team, identified partners, and a steering committee composed of specialists and MSF members to ensure rigorous oversight.