Founded four decades ago, MSF Luxembourg initially focused on planning and coordinating medical interventions abroad. Since 2010, however, its role has shifted towards operational medical research carried out directly in intervention areas.
Today, MSF continues to send volunteer doctors to crisis regions around the world, providing urgent medical care to those in need.
The exhibition aims to go beyond the medical aspect of the work. As MSF Luxembourg’s general director Paul Yon explains, it also highlights the logistical and infrastructural challenges teams face in the field.
“Not only the medical activities, but also logistics and supply chains are often extremely complex, especially when it comes to delivering medicines and vaccines to the areas where we operate,” he said.
A key focus of the exhibition is raising awareness of the broader conditions volunteers work under, from limited resources to difficult environments.
MSF Luxembourg was actively involved in international projects between 1986 and 2010. Since then, it has concentrated on research, often in collaboration with other countries. This work has led to significant breakthroughs, including new approaches to treating malnourished children.
One area of progress involves hydration methods for severely malnourished children. According to Dr Vic Arend, MSF has conducted studies in four countries showing that intravenous rehydration can be more effective than traditional approaches.
“Our research shows that this new method is more successful than what has been done for decades,” he said.
Child malnutrition is also a central theme of the exhibition. Visitors are shown how the condition is assessed in children aged three to five using a colour-coded measuring tape worn around the upper arm.
The tape indicates three categories: green signals no malnutrition, orange marks a transitional phase where children are sent home with additional food, and red indicates severe malnutrition.
In the most serious cases, particularly when combined with other illnesses, children are admitted for inpatient treatment.
The exhibition at Abtei Neimënster runs until 29 March. Further events are planned throughout the year to mark the 40th anniversary of MSF Luxembourg.
