Featured: Healthcare During Conflict
By Dr. Seleem Choudhury
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.8 billion people live in a classified conflict zone, equal to 23% of the global population (World Health Organization, 2024). As the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) analysis indicates, conflict in modern times tends toward the “purposeful destruction and destabilisation of civil society, making non-combatants a main target,” with disregard for the rules of war, international humanitarian law, and human rights (CRASSH News, 2023).
These conflicts have a “tremendous impact on healthcare provision and access to healthcare,” ranging from rampant disease (both communicable and non-communicable), traumatic injuries, and mental health challenges to maternal, women, and child health issues (CRASSH News, 2023).
The Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. According to its 2023 report, the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated for the ninth consecutive year, with 79 countries recording a deterioration (Vision of Humanity, 2023; Institute for Economics and Peace, 2023). Additionally, deaths from global conflict increased by 96% to 238,000 (Institute for Economics and Peace, 2023).