Conflict Affected Regions

Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) respond to high-impact communicable diseases in resource-poor
countries, including health systems support, and are major actors in global health. GHIs could play an important role
in countries affected by armed conflict given these countries commonly have weak health systems and a high
burden of communicable disease. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of two leading GHIs, the Global
Fund and the GAVI Alliance, on the health systems of conflict-affected countries. [from abstract]

The objective of SICOT is “to promote the advancement of the science and art of orthopaedics and traumatology at international level in particular for the improvement of patient care; to foster and develop teaching, research and education; to facilitate and encourage exchange of professional experience and to promote good fellowship among its members.” [from introduction]

In post-conflict settings, severe disruption to health systems invariably leaves populations at high risk of disease and
in greater need of health provision than more stable resource-poor countries. The health workforce is often a direct
victim of conflict. Effective human resource management (HRM) strategies and policies are critical to addressing the
systemic effects of conflict on the health workforce such as flight of human capital, mismatches between skills and
service needs, breakdown of pre-service training, and lack of human resource data.

Fragile and Conflict Affected States present difficult contexts to achieve health system outcomes and are neglected in health systems research. This report presents key debates from the Consultation of the Collaboration for Applied Health Research and Delivery, Liverpool, June, 2014.

One of the major challenges in the current century is the increasing number of post-conflict states where infrastructures are debilitated. The dysfunctional health care systems in post-conflict settings are putting the lives of the populations in these zones at increased risk. [from abstract]

With this aim, the study looks at the development of policies on human resources for health (HRH) in Sierra Leone over the decade after the conflict (2002–2012). [from abstract]

This report offers a review of the rich and varied discussions that took place during the course of the 3-day
conference that resulted in a Call for Action, including a global research agenda.[from introduction]

This study explores the personal experiences of health workers using e-health innovations in selected
post-conflict situations. [from abstract]

The extra demand imposed upon the Libyan health services during and after the Libyan revolution in 2011
led the ailing health systems to collapse. To start the planning process to re-engineer the health sector, a conference was held in Tripoli, Libya to facilitate a consultative process between 500 Libyan health experts in order to identify the problems within the Libyan health system and propose potential solutions. This article summarises the 500 health expert recommendations that seized the opportunity to map a modern health systems to take the Libyan health sector into the 21st century.

This study examines a population of community health workers in Karen State, eastern Myanmar to explore the manifestations of health providers’ psychological distress in a low-resource conflict environment.

This article presents qualitative research used to inform the development of a screening tool as a potential strategy to identify and respond to gender based violence (GBV) for females in humanitarian settings. The findings suggest that routine GBV screening by skilled service providers offers a strategy to confidentially identify and refer survivors to needed services within refugee settings, potentially enabling survivors to overcome existing barriers. [adapted from author]

This study evaluated the effect of multimedia training tool to encourage competent, compassionate, and confidential clinical care for sexual assault survivors in low-resource settings on healthcare providers’ attitudes, knowledge, confidence, and practices in four countries. [adapted from abstract]

This study is based on findings of an investigation of the experiences of Australian disaster workers from a range of health-related fields who provided humanitarian relief in disasters, complex emergencies, conflict and post-conflict situations internationally. [from abstract]

The following paper is a synthesis of the findings of researchers on training transfer and efficacy of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Program in Crisis and Post-Crisis Settings in the Asia Pacific Region, which was designed to address sexual and reproductive health in all phases of the disaster cycle, with a particular focus on preparedness and coordinated response and the importance of human resources for an effective response. [adapted from abstract]

This report analyses the main patterns of violence that were identified from information collected from 921 violent incidents affecting health-care during armed conflict and other emergencies in 22 countries involving the use or threat of violence against health-care personnel, the wounded and the sick, health-care facilities and medical vehicles. [adapted from summary]

This report documents the findings of an assessment of the current human rights situation in Bahrain as it relates to potential ongoing violations of medical neutrality including attacks on medical workers. [adapted from author]

The aim of this study is to examine the safety and feasibility of community-based medical care for survivors of sexual assault to contribute to building an evidence base on alternative models of care in humanitarian settings. [from abstract]

This case study focused on documenting and analysing factors that are relevant to mobilising and retaining health workers to deliver health services during a period of conflict and instability. [adapted from summary]

This article describes a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Peter C. Alderman Foundation and Ugandan government institutions that demonstrated the feasibility of delivering low cost, evidence-based mental health care to massively traumatized populations in northern Uganda through PPPs. [adapted from author]

This guide is intended to help health-care personnel adapt their working methods to the exigencies of armed conflicts and other emergencies. [from author]

In a district hospital in conflict-torn Somalia, the authors assessed the impact of introducing telemedicine on the quality of paediatric care, and the added value as perceived by local clinicians. [from abstract]

This update describes the development of a platform for delivery of essential health services in a post-conflict setting using integrated mobile teams of health workers consisting of MOH doctors, nurses, midwives, community health workers, and technicians, as well as community nutrition volunteers. [adapted from author]

This contribution looks at some of the roles of non-state providers (NSPs) in providing health services in fragile states that are coming out of conflict, and the relationships of NSPs with state agencies. [from author]

This account from one of the highly-qualified nurses and midwives who returned to Somaliland after the civil war relates what has been done to train a new generation of nurses and midwives, to improve standards of patient care, to develop relevant training programs and to foster regulation of the health sector. [from author]

The patterns of abuse recorded in this report and the evidence garnered from other sources provide a compelling picture of how the Syrian authorities are blocking access to health care for people wounded during conflict and preventing healthcare professionals from treating such patients freely and without fear. [from author]

This film tells the story of Mirta Nubia Rosero, the only health worker in a remote village in south-western Colombia. After five decades of conflict, unexploded landmines and remnants of war lie hidden in the ground. [from publisher]

This short film shows the human face of the conflict affected health care. Entire villages have been destroyed and health-care centres looted in western Cote d’Ivoire, and mobile clinics provide the only health care for many villages in the area. [adapted from publisher]

Four decades of conflict in southern Colombia have made health care a rare commodity on the Rio Caguan, a remote tributary of the Amazon. In this video, Abdi Ismail explains his work taking mobile health clinics along the river to thousands of villagers who would otherwise be cut off from medical care. [from publisher]

This unique video footage, shot in Libya, starkly reveals the danger that health-care workers are exposed to as they treat the war-wounded close to the front line. [from publisher]

Violence, both actual and threatened, against the wounded and the sick, and against health-care facilities and personnel, is a crucial yet overlooked humanitarian issue. This brochure provides a brief overview of the stark reality of violence against health care. [adapted from publisher]