In the Line of Fire: Protecting Health in Armed Conflict
Report of the 7th edition of the World Innovation Summit for Health
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Overview
The imperative to protect healthcare in conflict settings is enshrined in international humanitarian law, enacted through humanitarian principles such as the distinction between civilians and combatants, the concept of necessity, the proportionality of harm to civilians in relation to military advantage, impartiality and humanity. These principles ensure that medical personnel, facilities and transports are safeguarded, and provide care without discrimination.
Despite these legal protections, there has been an alarming rise in attacks against healthcare, representing grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Hospitals, clinics and ambulances are frequently bombed, looted or significantly hampered from the delivery of essential medical services. Healthcare workers have been assaulted, blocked from administering care and sometimes killed. These assaults severely disrupt vital health services, leaving vulnerable populations without essential care, with catastrophic effects on public health, health workers and healthcare facilities.
The central question this report seeks to address is how do we reset the balance and reaffirm the way forward to uphold the fundamental tenets of IHL, press for greater action to end impunity and foster greater political support to create structures that will ensure the protection of health systems and civilians during war.
Key challenges discussed include:
- Trends in global conflict that highlight the scale and nature of attacks and its effect on population health.
- Protective mechanisms for the delivery of healthcare in armed conflict that set out existing legal frameworks and accountability and the context of IHL.
- Building resilience and preparedness through capacity building, exploring protective measures through adaptive design, engaging more effectively with armed forces and non-state actors, fostering greater community engagement and education and the challenges presented by the lack of standardized data collection.