MSF in Canada

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada is a vital link between our medical humanitarian activities around the world and a network of supporters, humanitarians and medical professionals in Canada who help make this work possible.

The MSF Canada national office is located in Toronto. Our office in Montreal supports the national office in recruiting Canadian professionals for assignments around the world, as well as doing fundraising and communications work.

Our recruitment and placement team engages and prepares qualified and talented professionals to join MSF’s teams abroad, while fundraisers connect MSF medical programs with the resources needed to carry out our work. Meanwhile, humanitarian affairs specialists advocate to the decision makers in Canada who can help make a difference in our patients’ ability to obtain medical care.

MSF Canada also provides crucial added value to our medical work by pursuing innovations to overcome the challenges teams face while trying to deliver needed medical care to people in under-resourced settings. We have led initiatives such as telemedicine and e-learning, tapping into Canadian expertise, networks, and know-how to improve patient care.

Canadians first came together to create an MSF association in 1989, and Canada formally joined the international MSF movement in 1991.

Current strategic plan

MSF Canada in 2023 will contribute directly to medical humanitarian activities and help create a dynamic MSF movement responsive to demographic, economic, technological, environmental and socio-political change. MSF Canada provides leadership in the areas of climate environment and health, transformation and innovation, telemedicine, safety of project staff and medical advocacy.

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MSF board of directors

Our dedicated board members, reflecting diverse experiences and expertise, guide our work and uphold our humanitarian principles.

Board Committees

The Board’s standing committees are: Board Associative, Finance and Audit, Motions, Nominations, Governance, Human Resources.

The Human Resources and Governance Committees are closed to Association members. Association members are, however, welcome to join the other committees or Association-specific committees. To learn more about the Association committees, please consult the Take Action page. To join a committee, please contact Kate Badana.

Board Associative Committee

  • Purpose: Help the Association realize its Strategic Plan and serve as a sounding board on associative issues.

Finance and Audit Committee

  • Purpose: Assist the Board in fulfilling its financial obligations and oversight responsibilities including, but not limited to, financial planning and reporting, auditing, and risk management.

Motions Committee

  • Purpose: Facilitate and vet the proposals for motions and recommendation from the Association, and report back on their results.

Nominations Committee

  • Purpose: Promote and facilitate opportunities to join the MSF-C Board of Directors, within and outside of our Association membership.

Governance Committee

  • Purpose: Oversee the Board and the organization’s legal and regulatory compliance, as well as provide support to the Board regarding the formulation of policies and procedures.

MSF Canada leadership team

Our executive director and department heads set goals, foster collaboration and support our talented staff.

Association

MSF is a vibrant movement of people around the world who share a common purpose: to alleviate human suffering and offer medical humanitarian care to those who need it most. 

Each of the 25 MSF sections is an association whose members shape and safeguard the work of their own offices. Together they direct the MSF movement. This includes the MSF Canada association.

The MSF Canada association

In Canada, MSF association members elect a board of directors, who govern on their behalf.

The board is ultimately responsible for what MSF Canada does. It appoints our executive director, takes responsibility for the actions of MSF Canada and works to ensure the MSF principles are respected.

The board delegates the implementation of strategy to the MSF Canada management team, who run the office day-to-day.

If you are a member of the MSF Canada association, you can access the association website here. If you want to become an association member, please check the eligibility criteria here.

The movement

Elected representatives from Canada meet with colleagues from the other MSF associations to have global discussions that shape our work. During the annual international general assembly, the international president is appointed, and an international board chosen. They are responsible for bringing coherence to the movement.

Careers in Canada

Staff in Canada are a vital link between our network of supporters, humanitarians, medical professionals and MSF’s work to bring critical medical assistance to people around the world.

opportunities in Canada

Advocacy in Canada

See some of the main areas where MSF believes action can make a difference and help deliver essential medical care.

SEE ADVOCACY IN ACTION