Medical emergencies in conflict areas are too often ignored, says aid agency

The impact of tuberculosis and the devastation caused by wars in the Central African Republic and Chechnya are among the top 10 most under-reported medical emergencies of 2006, as rated in a list released online this week by the international aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

“The violence and suffering that MSF medical staff witness is too often seen as a norm that does not merit media attention,” said Jean-Michel Piedagnel, executive director of MSF UK, London. He added, “Yet the media is crucial in bringing humanitarian issues into the public consciousness and is often a precondition for increased …