What is it about war and conflict that exacerbates the spread of disease?
Conflict contributes to population displacement, destruction of health infrastructure, reduction in functioning healthcare systems, disruption of disease control programs, and lack of access to clean water, food, and medication. According to a study published in the Conflict and Health journal, conflict plays a direct and indirect role in the spread of disease. Military conflicts like war overwhelmingly impact healthcare infrastructure and systems. Vulnerable populations are subjected to displacement and insecurity.
“Disease is a consequence of modern war as direct and inevitable as bullet wounds.” – JAMA Network
Conflict has been intricately linked to disease outbreaks. In Yemen in 2016, a cholera outbreak devastated the country. The outbreak was after Saudi airstrikes on civilian power and water infrastructure, causing strain on an already failing health system. In Syria in 2013, disruption of vaccination services resulted in wildtype poliovirus, which was then later declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.
In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes have decimated vital infrastructure. There is intense buildup of waste, stagnant stewage, and insect infestations. The increase of displaced Palestinians in Gaza has led to conditions where diseases are killing Palestinians fleeing from airstrikes. Recently, a 10-month old baby was paralyzed after contracting polio, which is Gaza’s first case of polio in 25 years. The World Health Organization, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees have teamed up to administer polio vaccines to Gaza’s population. These organizations are calling for a ceasefire to administer the vaccines. Israel has repeatedly targeted Palestinian healthcare workers, hospitals, and overall health infrastructure in the genocide against Gazans.
In Sudan, civil war and conflict have decimated the country’s infrastructures. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been afflicted with dehydration, starvation, and disease caused by conflict. In August 2024, a cholera outbreak in the country led to over 20 people being killed with more than 350 cases of the disease. Heavy floods in Sudan have led to contamination of drinking water, due to flood waters mixing with sewage. There are little sanitation facilities left in Sudan due to the war, as civilian infrastructure has been destroyed. Hospitals have closed due to lack of supplies. In Sudan, there are more than 10 million people that are displaced due to the war. Displaced populations in war and conflict zones exacerbate conditions for disease.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, monkeypox has spread across the country as WHO declared the disease a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In the country, conflict has led to deaths and displacement. There has been a cholera epidemic and a measles outbreak previously in refugee camps in the country, and the effects of war lead to continuous rise of infectious diseases in the country.
Overall, the relationship between war and disease is intertwined. War and conflict create conditions for disease to flourish, and it is always the most vulnerable, innocent civilians who suffer the consequences of war and conflict.
