MSF South Asia 44d ago

MSF has been working in West Gondar since 2003, providing specialized care for people affected by neglected tropical diseases such as snakebite envenoming and kala‑azar in Abdurafi. The Abdurafi project is MSF’s largest snakebite treatment centre worldwide, treating 1,994 patients in 2025 and achieving an exceptionally low mortality rate of 0.05 percent—despite the high risk associated with these conditions. In 2025, MSF introduced PANAF, a WHO‑prequalified antivenom that does not require cold‑chain storage, marking a major step forward in making lifesaving treatment more accessible in remote and resource‑limited settings. MSF teams also treated 113 kala‑azar patients in 2025 and continue to study sand‑fly populations to better understand recent trends in the disease. While high‑quality, lifesaving care is available, access remains complex. The use of traditional medicine, insecurity, restricted movement, and high transportation costs often delay patients from reaching timely treatment. MSF continues to work alongside communities to overcome these barriers and ensure people can reach the care they need, when they need it.