Every year, 14 million people die from treatable infectious diseases, a quarter of all deaths worldwide. Over 90% of the victims live in developing countries. Access to treatment for these diseases is problematic because the medicines are unaffordable, ineffective due to resistance, or not adapted to local conditions. Further, drug discovery targeted at infectious diseases in poor countries has virtually come to a standstill.
Between March 2002 and May 2003, MSF took an interactive travelling exhibit to over 30 cities in 20 states across the U.S. to help raise awareness about the access crisis. To learn more about the crisis, and what MSF is doing, visit the MSF's Access to Essential Medicines Campaign web site.
How did it work? MSF's Expo was an interactive exhibit that personalized the experience of living in a developing country with an infectious disease.
The EXPO began by spinning the wheel of misfortune, with a color that corresponds to one of five diseases: Sleeping Sickness, Kala Azar, Tuberculosis, Malaria or HIV/AIDS.
Once visitors were "infected", they travelled through the exhibit as if they were one of our patients, learning more about the symptoms of the disease, and about the countries where the diseases are prevalent.
Finally, visitor "patients" had a mock consultation with one of MSF's volunteer doctors or nurses to discuss treatment options or lack thereof.
