{{Short description|International President of Médecins Sans Frontières}} {{About|the International President of Médecins Sans Frontières|the Cypriot politician of the same name|Christos Christou (politician)}} <noinclude>{{Requested move notice|1=Christos Christou (physician)|2=Talk:Christos Christou#Requested move 29 May 2026}} </noinclude>{{Infobox person | name = Christos Christou | honorific_suffix = | birth_place = [[Trikala]], Greece | alma_mater = [[Aristotle University]] ([[M.D.]])<br>[[University of Athens]] ([[Master's degree|Master's]])<br>[[National and Kapodistrian University]] ([[PhD]]) | known_for = Outgoing International President of MSF }}

'''Christos Christou''' is a Greek physician who is the former international president of [[Médecins Sans Frontières|Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doctors Without Borders: International president Christos Christou meets with Jean Asselborn in Luxembourg|url=https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1797244.html|access-date=2021-11-20|website=today.rtl.lu|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Elbeshbishi|first=Sarah|title=Deadly explosion in Beirut: How to help to the victims in Lebanon|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/05/beirut-explosion-how-help-victims-lebanon/3300822001/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref>

Christou is from Greece where he studied medicine before working as a doctor in the United Kingdom. He joined MSF and worked as a surgeon in Cameroon, Iraq, and South Sudan before becoming elected as the Vice President, then President of MSF Greece and later succeeding [[Joanne Liu]] as the International President of MSF international.

== Early life == Christou was born in [[Trikala]], Greece.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Climate change, a humanitarian crisis|url=https://delano.lu/article/climate-change-a-humanitarian-|access-date=2021-11-20|website=delano.lu|language=en}}</ref>

== Education == Christou has a degree in medicine from [[Aristotle University of Thessaloniki|Aristotle University]], a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D]] in surgery from the [[National and Kapodistrian University of Athens|National and Kapodistrian University]], and a Master's degree in International Health and Health Crisis Management from the [[University of Athens]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2019-12-26|title=Ten Greeks Who Left Their Mark in 2019|url=https://greekreporter.com/2019/12/26/ten-greeks-who-left-their-mark-in-2019/|access-date=2021-11-20|website=GreekReporter.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|author=Newsroom|title=Greek surgeon elected president of Doctors Without Borders {{!}} eKathimerini.com|url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/244400/greek-surgeon-elected-president-of-doctors-without-borders/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=www.ekathimerini.com|language=English}}</ref>

== Career == As an emergency surgery specialist, Christou worked at [[North Middlesex University Hospital]] and [[King's College Hospital|King’s College Hospital]] in [[London]], UK.<ref name=":2" />

He joined MSF in 2002 as a volunteer surgeon,<ref name=":1" /> working on refugee health issues, and [[HIV/AIDS|HIV]] in [[Cameroon]], [[Iraq]], [[South Sudan]] and [[Zambia]].<ref name=":2" />

He worked as the General Secretary, and then as the vice president before being elected as the president of MSF Greece in 2005.<ref name=":2" />

Christou was elected to be the international president of MSF in June 2019.<ref name=":1" /> Later in 2019, he wrote an open letter to [[European Union]] leaders advocating that they cease their policy of stopping the journey of [[asylum seeker]]s in the Greek islands.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-11-29|title=Greek Photographer Anna Pantelia Shows Paradox of Greek Island and Europe's Failure|url=https://pappaspost.com/greek-photographer-anna-pantelia-shows-paradox-of-greek-island-and-europes-failure/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=The Pappas Post|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2020, responding to an open letter from MSF staff about [[institutional racism]], he welcomed the critique, but also questioned how widespread racism was within MSF.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Doctors Without Borders Responds To Charges Of 'Racism' From Its Staff|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/07/15/864544382/doctors-without-borders-responds-to-charges-of-racism-from-its-staff|access-date=2021-11-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=MSF accused by staff of upholding white supremacy and colonialism|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/medecins-sans-frontieres-accused-white-supremacy-colonialism|access-date=2021-11-20|website=Middle East Eye|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-24|title=Feelings running high at 'Eurocentric' MSF|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/06/24/MSF-racism-black-lives-matter-debate|access-date=2021-11-21|website=The New Humanitarian|language=en}}</ref> He also criticized governments for failing to put in place efficient healthcare plans at the beginning of the [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus pandemic]], especially in low income countries.<ref>{{Cite web|last=KIU|title=.:: KIU International Desk: MSF President Dr Christou says Impact of COVID-19 "not Shared Equally" {{!}} Kampala International University, Uganda|url=https://www.kiu.ac.ug/news-page.php?i=kiu-international-desk-msf-president-dr-christou-says-impact-of-covid-19-%E2%80%9Cnot-shared-equally%E2%80%9D|access-date=2022-01-27|website=www.kiu.ac.ug|language=en}}</ref>

In 2021, Christou spoke about the importance of addressing [[climate change]], criticized pharmaceutical companies for not sharing COVID-19 vaccine [[intellectual property]], and spoke of increasing humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.<ref name=":0" />

In 2021, he was critical of Brazilian President [[Jair Bolsonaro|Jair Bolsonaro's]] management of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-16|title=Babies dying from Covid in Brazil as 'humanitarian catastrophe' hits country|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brazil-babies-dying-covid-b1832652.html|access-date=2021-11-20|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Penna|first1=Dominic|last2=Carpani|first2=Jessica|date=2021-04-15|title=Europe passes one million Covid deaths|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-vaccine-south-africa-variant-astrazeneca-eu-cases/|access-date=2021-11-21|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}{{Humanitarian Aid}}

[[Category:Médecins Sans Frontières]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Trikala]] [[Category:Aristotle University of Thessaloniki alumni]] [[Category:National and Kapodistrian University of Athens alumni]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]