After years of focusing on people on the move, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is shifting its response to serve the most vulnerable communities of Ciudad Juárez. MSF has opened a fixed point of care facility to provide specialized care to displaced people, deportees, and local communities at risk. We have also expanded our mobile clinic model to include assistance for survivors of any form of violence, including torture, extortion, and sexual violence.
“We witness daily how the environment impacts the mental and physical health of entire families,” said Ricardo Santiago, MSF project manager in Ciudad Juárez.
Between March 2025, when the project launched, and January 2026, our teams provided 5,629 medical and mental health consultations, in which violence was identified as the main cause for health needs. Mental health has emerged as an urgent priority.
Mental health is a medical necessity
For MSF, mental health is not a secondary service but a primary medical necessity. Addressing mental health in Ciudad Juárez requires recognizing violence as a phenomenon that demands a broader social and community-based response.
“Our work is not only about treating a diagnosis; it is about validating the suffering and strengthening the resilience tools of the community,” said Nancy Morales, MSF psychologist.
Morales highlighted the profound impact of sustained violence, particularly on children: “We see patients who have faced chronic violence since childhood. These experiences can lead to structural changes in brain development and affect the ability to assess and respond to risk later in life,” she said.
“The data is clear: Violence is the primary triggering factor in mental health consultations,” Santiago added. “We need to destigmatize mental health [care] and recognize it as a fundamental human right.”
Strengthening support through partnership
Coordinating and strengthening alliances with other relevant actors is important to reach people in need and guarantee access to specialized care. MSF’s activities include engagement with community groups in Riveras del Bravo and Talamás.
“We reaffirm our commitment to work alongside other actors to strengthen access to care for survivors of all forms of violence, ensuring they can access professional, free-of-charge services delivered under the strictest medical and confidentiality standards,” said Santiago.
MSF’s new facility serves patients from central Ciudad Juárez as well as nearby areas such as Plutarco and Anapra. Services integrate mental health support, primary health care, sexual and reproductive health care, and social work services. The new model of care allows for more convenient and continuous patient follow-up, Santiago added.
