Insights from Gaza and exciting developments in the treatment of snakebite and advanced HIV to be presented at MSF Scientific Days 2026
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will present new research and insights from Gaza, Sudan and Haiti, among many other humanitarian contexts.
At the conference, presenters will also share results from diverse studies, including those using new tools to treat children with malnutrition, novel ways to deliver malaria vaccines and changes to treatments for advanced HIV and snakebite.
The annual Scientific Day will take place on 20 May at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
The event brings together frontline health workers, researchers and policymakers to share evidence from humanitarian settings. The conference shows how research carried out during conflicts, epidemics and emergencies can directly improve patient care and influence global health responses.
In this year’s keynote lecture, Drs Horino and Dr Seita from United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will share their experiences of analysing routine medical data to highlight the impact of restricted humanitarian aid on child malnutrition. This work contributed to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) August 2025 report, declaring famine in Gaza City. They will also reflect on the critical value and challenges of conducting research in humanitarian crises.
In addition, MSF will present findings on:
- Implementation of a simplified, single-dose treatment for a deadly HIV-related brain infection, which makes lifesaving care more feasible.
- Experiences using a new snakebite antivenom that does not require refrigeration and can treat multiple types of snakebite, making it far easier to use in remote areas.
- New evidence showing that combining malaria vaccines with seasonal preventive medicines can significantly improve protection for children in high-burden settings.
Dr Matthew Coldiron, Director of MSF’s Manson Unit, said:
“MSF Scientific Days shows how MSF generates evidence in challenging settings and shares the lessons learned to improve care for people living through crises around the world. We work in places where research is often seen as difficult, yet it is precisely in these settings that strong evidence is most urgently needed.”
Dr Natalie Roberts, Executive Director of MSF UK, said:
“The keynote speech by Dr Seita and Dr Horino is a powerful example of why research matters. Their analysis of malnutrition in Gaza provides clear, credible evidence of how conflict and restricted aid affect children’s lives. This kind of study ensures that the experiences of people living through war are recorded and that decisions made by international organisations are grounded in reality.”
You can join the conference using the registration link below:
https://registration.msfscientificdays2026.org.uk/msfsdi26/register
MSF Scientific Days will be a hybrid event this year and will be available to stream online, with opportunities for media to arrange interviews with key speakers including:
- Dr Natalie Roberts, Executive Director, MSF UK
- Dr Matthew Coldiron, Director of the Manson Unit, MSF UK
- Dr Bhargavi Rao, Malaria Specialist, MSF UK
- Dr Masako Horino and Dr Akhiro Seita UNRWA
Heba Yousef