Meet Akku, MSF Cultural Mediator in Belgium

Since 2015, Belgium has seen a large number of people who have fled their home country in the hope of building a better life. Many of these people pass through Belgium as part of their long and arduous journey. The situation for migrants and asylum seekers in Belgium worsens every year, due to restrictive policies that make access to basic health care very difficult.

Together with a number of other organizations, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) set up a humanitarian hub in Brussels. Our psychologists offer counseling and mental health support as part of a complete package of services for migrants and refugees in transit. “In some of the cultures, [the concept of] mental health is not well-known” says Akku. “I explain with some examples. When you're injured emotionally, you have to see a doctor. You can consider you are trying to heal from emotional pain. That’s the way I explain [it].” The hub receives around 50,000 visits each year and it has evolved to keep pace with the ever-increasing demand.

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Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières helps people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care. Learn more at https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

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