On Monday 12 October the International Study Group (ISG) will hear about the vital work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). MSF was founded in France in December 1971 by a group of doctors and journalists. Its creation was deeply influenced by the civil war and famine in Biafra and it looked to create an independent organisation capable of delivering emergency medical assistance quickly, effectively, and impartially.

MSF was founded on a simple but powerful conviction: that everyone should have access to healthcare, regardless of their gender, race, religion, beliefs or political affiliation, and that medical needs should take precedence over national borders.

The speaker is Marie-Christine Férir a nurse who has been working with MSF since 1982. With more than 30 years’ experience, she has held several key positions, notably as coordinator of the emergency pool and Director of Operations. She has taken part in numerous humanitarian interventions, including the response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa (2014-2015). She has just returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she was Ebola representative for MSF in Kinshasa.

Where and when

The talk will take place on Monday, 12 October 2026 with a welcome coffee from 10h30 and the talk starts at 11h00. The venue is Château Malou, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. Free parking is available around the Chateau and public transport is close by: Tram 8, stop Voot; Bus 28, stop Deportés or Parc Malou. The talk is free to ISG members. Guests and non-members should pay €15 on entry.

More information on this ISG event here.