Violence, conflict and health in Africa

Conflict and health: The health costs of war: can they be measured? Lessons from El Salvador

“…23 24 The study of El Salvador provides some glimpses of the aftereffects of the conflict on policy formation; here we discuss the impact on a single dimension of one primary care policy. During the conflict, the insurgency, assisted by foreign volunteers and funding, had developed a remarkable primary health system to provide services to the areas under its control 25.…”

Political violence, collective functioning and health: A review of the literature

“…The damage to medical systems due to political violence has a host of consequences, including increased infectious disease (Beyrer, 1998, Reilley et al ., 2002, Gayer et al ., 2007) and problems in vaccination services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2003, Herp et al ., 2003). Damage is incurred through deliberate targeting of or “collateral damage” to health centers, as reported by Itavyar and Ogba (1989), Farmer (2004) and Yusufzai (2008) in Africa, Haiti, and Pakistan, respectively. Pedersen (2002) reported this damage in Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Peru.…”

“…However, political violence contributes to the deterioration of public sector and governments’ ability to provide for citizenry, creating “governance voids” (Cliffe and Luckham, 2000). It draws funds away from health and social services (Sidel and Levy, 2008), and diminishes resources for health sectors, as reported by Itavyar and Ogba (1989) in research throughout Africa, by Ugalde, et al (2000) in El Salvador, where the healthcare budget was reduced by 50%, and by Farmer (2004) in Haiti, where in 2004, the newest medical school was turned into a military base for foreign troops. De-investment in the public sector as a part of political violence has been reported by Barghouthi and Giacaman (1990) in Palestine and Hamieh and Ginty in Lebanon (2010).…”

<em>The Health Consequences of Armed Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa</em>: How Much Do Conflict Intensity and Proximity Matter?

“…The direct effects of armed conflict are straightforward: individuals are killed or injured as a result of the fighting. Ityavyar and Ogba (1989) provide a general outline for specific indirect effects: military spending is prioritized over health spending; physical and social infrastructure is damaged or destroyed, and people are displaced from areas affected by conflict. In addition to financial resources, human and physical resources are also diverted from the health sector; those controlling clinics, hospitals, health care workers, and medications may redirect them from their routine services to treating the casualties of the conflict.…”