Iraq
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ran a diverse range of health services across Iraq in 2023, serving hard-to-reach communities and people affected by years of conflict.
Our activities in 2023
outpatient consultations
antenatal consultations
surgical interventions
postnatal consultations
Despite signs of improvements after decades of fighting and war, Iraq’s public healthcare sector is still recovering and there are significant needs, particularly in remote areas and regions directly affected by the recent conflict with the Islamic State group.
As international resources have been reallocated to other regions in the world and assistance has decreased in Iraq, the country is facing the major challenge of rebuilding and rehabilitating its infrastructure and public services, including public healthcare.
In 2023, MSF teams worked in 11 locations across Iraq, delivering a wide range of essential and specialised medical services to residents of areas with limited access to healthcare, as well as to people returning home after prolonged displacement in camps or other regions within the country.
Our activities included maternal, paediatric and neonatal services, emergency medical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare, specialised orthopaedic and obstetric surgery, comprehensive post-surgical rehabilitation, treatment for non-communicable diseases, and mental health support. In addition, we supported healthcare facilities with donations of medical supplies and technical training for staff, and strengthened local health authorities’ preparedness for emergencies.
We also continued to assist the National Tuberculosis Institute with the administration of oral treatment regimens for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis.
During the year, we organised several referrals for Iraqi patients requiring specialist surgical care to MSF’s reconstructive surgery hospital in Amman, Jordan.