MSF Immunizes in the Central African Republic

Dr. Susan Turner

Between 2005-2011, Dr. Susan Turner served as an associate medical director at the Columbia Psychiatric Associates in New York City. As the attending psychiatrist for the Columbia Presbyterian Day Treatment Program, she was responsible for outpatient care and psychopharmacology. Dr. Susan Turner donates to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders.

Founded in Paris in 1971, MSF is now a global movement of 23 organizations that offers humanitarian medical assistance to people in need regardless of their race, color, or nationality. Vera Schmitz is a volunteer performing her eighth assignment for MSF in March of 2017 in the Central African Republic.

Vera and her team aim to vaccinate every child under five years old in the southern section of the country against eight common dangerous diseases. This target population consists of 40,000 children, and the vaccination process will include three separate injections for superior disease resistance.

There are many difficulties that the team must overcome. Many of the villages the team visits are in remote areas, and the terrain can be difficult to navigate. They must also develop a relationship with the respected members of the group, and they also do their best to enlist the help of locals to keep track of the immunization records (illiteracy is very common).