Michel Thieren is a Belgian physician specialising in humanitarian affairs and human rights. He has spent more than a decade managing emergency operations in non-governmental organisations and the United Nations, and was head of office in northern Bosnia for the World Health Organisation in 1995-96.

Recent articles

The question of how many Iraqis have died since 2003 has been reopened. In answering it, it is vital to clarify the criteria in making a scientific assessment, says Michel Thieren.

How many civilians have died in Iraq? Iraq Body Count and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health give widely different answers. Michel Thieren examines what is at stake in their contrasting approaches and estimates.

(This article was first published on 18 October 2006)

How can saviours of life become takers? In the wake of the al-Qaida terror plot involving British-based health professionals, Michel Thieren explores the history and idea of the "evil doctor".

The ethical practice of medical and public-health professionals is increasingly tested by situations of war and conflict. The result - from Rwanda to Abu Ghraib to Libya - can be the violation of medical neutrality. Michel Thieren considers what can be done to uphold professional and humane standards in "dark times".