A supportive community provides the context for ongoing healthy habits. Conversely, negative community aspects put a person at greater risk of developing many health issues. They can also prolong the recovery process after illness or increase the risk of relapse. In this newsletter, we look closer at some MSF initiatives where community engagement is a central component.

The climate emergency is a human health emergency. In this issue, we spotlight two initiatives where MSF has adapted its operations in response to climate change as well as an advocacy campaign by MSF Switzerland to raise awareness about the consequences of the climate emergency on the health of the populations we support.

Some of the most revolutionary ideas start small and come from unexpected places. In addition, innovations come in all shapes and sizes - from technical solutions to ideas for changing processes to promote social change. In this edition of the MSF SIU newsletter, we explore the diverse nature of innovations.

Children under the age of 15 make up more than 60 per cent of MSF's patients, and many have experienced conflicts, natural disasters or other traumatic events. In this edition, we feature two Play Therapy innovations by MSF: the Play Therapy Toolkit and the colouring book “Juan Pablo’s Journey”.

In this edition, we discuss the importance of collaboration in innovation initiatives and projects and share insights from the Digital Therapeutics team with the MSF SIU’s project visit in Lebanon. We also feature a PAWsome initiative in Mexico City, where Onnie, a Labrador Retriever, provides mental health support to victims of torture and extreme violence at MSF’s Comprehensive Care Centre.

In this edition, we share insights into the Zero Separation Workshop in Senegal, which the MSF Sweden Innovation Unit hosted in November 2022. We also feature a series of Digital Health Promotion pilot studies in Bangladesh, Malaysia and Tajikistan carried out by the MSF Manson Unit.

In this edition of the MSF Innovation Newsletter, we spotlight two smartphone applications that help improve access to MSF’s services. We also explore the Battery Recycling Project, wich aims to investigate how MSF can improve the management of batteries at a project level.

There is growing evidence of the various mechanisms by which climate change is affecting mental health. In this edition of the MSF Innovation Newsletter, we look at innovative approaches to providing mental health relief for people affected by extreme climate events.

In recent years, improved access to the internet and internet-connected devices have accelerated the adoption and use of digital technologies such as social media everywhere. For MSF, this development means a plethora of new opportunities to engage with members of the communities we support – but also some challenges.

For a global humanitarian organization as large as MSF, finding and fostering innovations from staff on the ground in +70 countries can be challenging. Achieving this requires active knowledge sharing and collaboration across the movement.

Innovations can be big or small, tangible or abstract, a technical solution or a behaviour change process. This edition of the MSF Innovation Newsletter reviews how MSF works to broaden the innovation landscape.

This edition explores why MSF Innovators are focused on Community Engagement and ponders how digital and social media provide humanitarian organizations like MSF new and improved ways to reach and communicate with local communities.

Read on for this month's updates including how MSF is navigating digital health solutions for humanitarian and global health settings and a new method for ensuring cold chains support the optimal transfer of essential medicines.

The late and great Dr Hans Rosling wrote in his final piece of work, Factfullness, “There’s no room for facts when our minds are occupied by fear.”

At the end of August we were delighted to launch our very first Humanitarian Health and Global Health Innovation Newsletter.