WS 08 – Health in War and Conflict

Humanitarian crises including the ongoing conflicts in Gaza-Palestine, Ukraine, Haiti, Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan are major threats to health, well-being and sustainable development. Looking through the lenses of negative peace, war and conflict not only may lead to disrupted health services, collapse of socioeconomic infrastructure and dysfunctional institutions, but they actually hamper basic life, sufficient food supply, mental health and adequate supply chain. Worse still, increasing episodes of targeting health facilities, i.e., hospitals and primary care services, exacerbates the horrific consequences of conflict as human resources for health will shrink, fragile health services will suffer even further, which may foster migration and decrease societal resilience to cope with the disaster.

Looking through the positive peace perspective, wars and conflict often lead to emergency situations, fading democracy, failed institutions, increased corruption and unlawful practices, all of which may roll back human development, prosperity and humanity in affected nations. Despite many global mechanisms to improve humanity and reach sustainable development, the world has been facing brutal events with huge and heart-breaking consequences.

Better governance is badly required to prevent man-made disasters through addressing main causes of conflicts more effectively. In this challenging global context, there is a need for innovative pathways and collective reflection to ensure that health and well-being in the conflicts is a central focus of advocacy and diplomacy. This session brings experienced global political leaders, policy makers, and philanthropists to discuss changes that are essential to strengthen resilience and highlight the significance of maintaining population health as a priority in conflict-affected and fragile settings.