Voices of Care. Listening to patients and communities. An analysis of documented Engagement and Feedback (OCBA 2024)

The evaluation synthesizes findings from regular community consultations, targeted qualitative assessments in Sudan, Somalia, and Mali, and patient satisfaction surveys conducted in 2024. It focuses on community knowledge, access barriers, perceived service quality, broader needs, and the overall impact of MSF interventions across diverse project contexts.

Results

• Communities widely value MSF for free, neutral, and life-saving care—especially maternal, pediatric, and emergency services.
• Patient satisfaction rates across projects were high.
• Barriers to access include transport costs, insecurity, poor roads, and awareness gaps.
• Quality concerns include long waiting times, medication stockouts, and cultural mismatches in service delivery.
• Persistent reliance on traditional medicine reflects cultural beliefs and limited health literacy.
• Broader community needs include water, sanitation, food, education, and livelihood support—often prioritized over health.
• MSF's presence contributes to local economies and social cohesion but expectations for broader support are growing.

Conclusions 

Community engagement in OCBA projects demonstrates strong potential to improve service delivery, inform strategy, and build trust. MSF’s neutrality and responsiveness are widely appreciated, but access and communication gaps limit reach and equity. To ensure continued relevance and impact, feedback must be systematically gathered, analysed, and acted upon.