This is not a simple war, and there are no simple aid solutions. As the UN marks the registration of the millionth Syrian refugee this week, having fled material destitution on top of living in constant fear, it's clear that the status quo cannot be an option.

Performing a spinal tap under field conditions is nerve-wracking. Sticking a needle into someone's spine to extract spinal fluid is painful and risky and that's just the doctor's perspective. But it's also something that our doctors have to do every day as part of routine tests for advanced stage sleeping sickness.

The extraordinary levels of energy that we need to do our work is the stuff of youth. And even at 40, we still have enough of the conceited, angry teenager to protest the senselessness of a rich world where so many people suffer and die for lack of medical care.