Doctors Without Borders Helps Refugees in Tanzania Avoid Cholera

Investment Management Consultants Association member Kyle Dunphy provides wealth management guidance to clients at EFG Capital Advisors, where he serves as Senior Director. Away from work, Kyle Dunphy supports the international health initiative Doctors Without Borders.

On July 27, 2015, Doctors Without Borders completed a cholera vaccination campaign. To reduce the spread of cholera, an infectious disease that causes dehydration and death from severe diarrhea, the group partnered with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the World Health Organization to provide oral vaccination to the Nyarugusu refugee camp. Approximately 130,000 refugees received the treatment, which will alleviate the risk of new epidemics.

In the past three months, the Nyarugusu population has doubled due to violence and political unrest in Burundi. The rapid growth in the number of refugees has made it challenging for humanitarian organizations to supply enough food, water, and shelter. The overcrowded conditions also lead to poor sanitation that exacerbates the spread of diseases, like cholera.

Doctors Without Borders 2015 Ebola Response

Since 2008, Kyle Dunphy has served as a Senior Director at EFG Capital Advisors, where he oversees investment portfolios of cross-border assets for ultra-high-net-worth clients. In addition to his professional endeavors, Kyle Dunphy advocates for global health initiatives such as Doctors Without Borders.

The organization that came to be known as Doctors Without Borders was founded in France in the late 1960s by a group of physicians who wanted to help victims of war and natural disaster. They formally organized in 1971 under the name Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The group has expanded and established offices around the world to facilitate optimal outreach.

In recent months, Doctors Without Borders has provided medical attention to victims of the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Healthcare professionals have helped thousands of individuals, but Dr. Joanna Liu, MSF International President, has stated that the epidemic remains out of control. As a result, MSF continues to recruit volunteers, particularly those who speak French or Arabic. For more information on how to volunteer or support the cause, please visit http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org.