Around 2 billion people worldwide live in areas affected by armed conflict, including dozens of ongoing wars, sectarian violence and political instability that forces the displacement of millions of people. Beyond the direct impacts of these conflicts on human health, including the many people who are killed or injured as a result of armed combat, prolonged periods of conflict can have much wider health impacts, such as by worsening environmental conditions that drive disease and disrupting access to medical services and care.
This Think Global panel will explore these wider impacts of armed conflict on health, including how disruptions to health systems pose challenges for treatment of chronic diseases and other health conditions. Panelists will offer firsthand perspectives of the obstacles they have faced in delivering healthcare in areas affected by conflict and explore the impact these challenges have on both patients and providers. The discussion will seek to define how global health research can measure and articulate the impacts of conflict on human health, as well as ways that those impacts may be avoided.