Médecins Sans Frontières was founded in 1971 by a small group of doctors and journalists who believed that all people should have access to emergency medical relief.
Médecins Sans Frontières was one of the first non-governmental organisations to provide urgently needed medical assistance and to publicly bear witness to the plight of the people it helps.
In 1999, Médecins Sans Frontières was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its pioneering humanitarian work.
Today, Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent movement with offices in nineteen countries.
During 2006, the Médecins Sans Frontières field team was made up of more than 27,000 individuals, including doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, mental health professionals, logistics experts, water and sanitation engineers, administrators and a host of other professional and non-professional support staff, working in over sixty countries around the world.
The Australian section of Médecins Sans Frontières was established in 1994, and it is currently fully funded by private donors. Every year around one hundred Australians and New Zealanders are sent to, and supported in the field by the Sydney office.
