Peace through health

War and violent conflict are two factors posing a serious threat to health,1 yet they are often neglected by medical educators. By 2020 researchers predict that war will be one of the top 10 causes of loss of quality of life through disability resulting from deaths, injuries, and the lack of health care, water, shelter, and sanitation associated with conflict.2

On a larger scale, conflict destroys infrastructure and disrupts vital services such as medical care and sanitation, affects trade and wealth generation for the whole population, impairs food and water production and distribution, and displaces communities from their homes.3 As with other medical issues, doctors should deal with aetiology and prevention, not just treatment. An exclusively biomedical model of death, disease, and disability that deals only with the effects of war and has no peace studies or prevention component is clearly not compatible with a balanced education. Yet this is lacking in most medical curricula, even in countries that have recently experienced conflict.

The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion recognises peace …