Articles

A scoping review of the associations between mental health and factors related to HIV acquisition and disease progression in conflict-affected populations

The association between poor mental health and factors related to HIV acquisition and disease progression (also referred to as HIV-related factors) may be stronger among conflict-affected populations given ele...

Authors: Erica Koegler and Caitlin E. Kennedy

Wishful thinking versus operational commitment: is the international guidance on priority sexual and reproductive health interventions in humanitarian settings becoming unrealistic?

Twenty-one years ago, a global consortium of like-minded institutions designed the landmark Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to guide national and international h...

Authors: Nguyen Toan Tran and Catrin Schulte-Hillen

A factor analytic investigation of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms in a culturally diverse sample of refugees resettled in Australia

Refugees and asylum-seekers are often exposed to multiple types of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and report elevated rates of psychological disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cons...

Authors: Philippa Specker, Belinda J. Liddell, Yulisha Byrow, Richard A. Bryant and Angela Nickerson

Conflict and tuberculosis in Sudan: a 10-year review of the National Tuberculosis Programme, 2004-2014

Sudan is a fragile developing country, with a low expenditure on health. It has been subjected to ongoing conflicts ever since 1956, with the Darfur crisis peaking in 2004. The conflict, in combination with th...

Authors: Sara A. Hassanain, Jeffrey K. Edwards, Emilie Venables, Engy Ali, Khadiga Adam, Hafiz Hussien and Asma Elsony

Using digital health to enable ethical health research in conflict and other humanitarian settings

Conducting research in a humanitarian setting requires quantifiable quality measures to ensure ethical study conduct. Digital health technologies are proven to improve research study quality and efficacy via a...

Authors: Eric D. Perakslis

Mechanisms of change for interventions aimed at improving the wellbeing, mental health and resilience of children and adolescents affected by war and armed conflict: a systematic review of reviews

Despite increasing research and clinical interest in delivering psychosocial interventions for children affected by war, little research has been conducted on the underlying mechanisms of change associated wit...

Authors: Tania Josiane Bosqui and Bassam Marshoud

Review of attacks on health care facilities in six conflicts of the past three decades

In the ongoing conflicts of Syria and Yemen, there have been widespread reports of attacks on health care facilities and personnel. Tabulated evidence does suggest hospital bombings in Syria and Yemen are far ...

Authors: Carolyn Briody, Leonard Rubenstein, Les Roberts, Eamon Penney, William Keenan and Jeffrey Horbar

Water, sanitation, and hygiene access in southern Syria: analysis of survey data and recommendations for response

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are immediate priorities for human survival and dignity in emergencies. In 2010, > 90% of Syrians had access to improved drinking water. In 2011, armed conflict began and ...

Authors: Mustafa Sikder, Umar Daraz, Daniele Lantagne and Roberto Saltori

Epidemiological findings of major chemical attacks in the Syrian war are consistent with civilian targeting: a short report

Evidence of use of toxic gas chemical weapons in the Syrian war has been reported by governmental and non-governmental international organizations since the war started in March 2011. To date, the profiles of ...

Authors: Jose M. Rodriguez-Llanes, Debarati Guha-Sapir, Benjamin-Samuel Schlüter and Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks

Notes from the field: a case of hepatic failure and reflections on current status of healthcare of Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Recent trends and research suggest health conditions of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are deteriorating. The following case study highlights some of the problems that refugees encounter seeking health care se...

Authors: Salim M. Saiyed, John Kahler and Mutaz Kalabani

Risk factors for vitamin A and D deficiencies among children under-five in the state of Palestine

Vitamin A and D are essential for the proper growth and development of a child. Due to the complex political circumstances in the state of Palestine, research on micronutrient deficiency is scarce.

Authors: Aeysha Bushra Chaudhry, Shakoor Hajat, Najwa Rizkallah and Ala’a Abu-Rub

The new WHO decision-making framework on vaccine use in acute humanitarian emergencies: MSF experience in Minkaman, South Sudan

The main causes of death during population movements can be prevented by addressing the population’s basic needs. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a framework for decision making to help pri...

Authors: Monica Rull, Sophie Masson, Nicolas Peyraud, Marco Simonelli, Alexandre Ventura, Claire Dorion, Francisco J. Luquero, Florent Uzzeni and Iza Cigleneki

Monitoring and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support programs in humanitarian settings: a scoping review of terminology and focus

Monitoring and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs is critical to facilitating learning and providing accountability to stakeholders. As part of an inter-agency effort to deve...

Authors: Jura L. Augustinavicius, M. Claire Greene, Daniel P. Lakin and Wietse A. Tol

A qualitative approach to understand antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence for refugees living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda

Refugees living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa suffer unique hardships that may increase their vulnerability to interruptions in antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Authors: Kelli N. O’Laughlin, Shada A. Rouhani, Julius Kasozi, Kelsy E. Greenwald, Nicholas R. Perkons, Zikama M. Faustin, Ingrid V. Bassett and Norma C. Ware

Risk factors for unsafe behaviors toward grenades among rural populations affected by explosive devices in Colombia

Following decades of armed conflict, Colombia remains highly affected by explosive device (ED) contamination, especially in rural areas. Many victims are injured by EDs despite knowing their dangers. Determini...

Authors: Andrew T. Boyd, Kristin Becknell, Steven Russell, Curtis Blanton, Susan T. Cookson, Oleg O. Bilukha and Mark Anderson

Reflections from the Lebanese field: “First, heal thyself”

Humanitarian aid workers caring for Syrian refugees face major stressors as they attend to refugees’ needs on the field. Without adequate psychosocial support, evidence has shown that fieldworkers experience h...

Authors: Zeina Chemali, Hannah Smati, Kelsey Johnson, Christina P. C. Borba and Gregory L. Fricchione

Responding to chemical weapons violations in Syria: legal, health, and humanitarian recommendations

The repeated use of prohibited chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict poses serious health, humanitarian, and security threats to civilians, healthcare personnel, and first responders. Moreover, the use of ch...

Authors: Julia Brooks, Timothy B. Erickson, Stephanie Kayden, Raul Ruiz, Stephen Wilkinson and Frederick M. Burkle Jr

The impact of Cognitive Processing Therapy on stigma among survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial

Sexual violence is associated with a multitude of poor physical, emotional, and social outcomes. Despite reports of stigma by sexual violence survivors, limited evidence exists on effective strategies to reduc...

Authors: S. M. Murray, J. Augustinavicius, D. Kaysen, D. Rao, L. K. Murray, K. Wachter, J. Annan, K. Falb, P. Bolton and J. K. Bass

Local constructions of gender-based violence amongst IDPs in northern Uganda: analysis of archival data collected using a gender- and age-segmented participatory ranking methodology

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant problem in conflict-affected settings. Understanding local constructions of such violence is crucial to developing preventive and responsive interventions to addres...

Authors: Alastair Ager, Carolyn Bancroft, Elizabeth Berger and Lindsay Stark

Evaluating the communities care program: best practice for rigorous research to evaluate gender based violence prevention and response programs in humanitarian settings

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant issue for women and girls in humanitarian settings. Innovative primary prevention programs are being developed and implemented with existing response programs to ch...

Authors: N. Glass, N. Perrin, A. Clough, A. Desgroppes, F. N. Kaburu, J. Melton, A. Rink, S. Read-Hamilton and M. Marsh

Differences between the antibiotic prescribing pattern of newly arrived refugees in Germany and the German population

The number of refugees arriving in Europe increased dramatically in 2015, challenging the German health system. Amongst others, the treatment of infectious diseases is an important topic in refugee healthcare....

Authors: Fabian Kahl and Thomas Kühlein

The impact of the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria on childhood wasting: a double-difference study

This research examines the relationship between violent conflict and childhood wasting in Northeast Nigeria, where residents have been subjected to fighting between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram - an ...

Authors: Gillian Dunn

Provision of emergency obstetric care at secondary level in a conflict setting in a rural area of Afghanistan – is the hospital fulfilling its role?

Provision of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) reduces maternal mortality and should include three components: Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEmONC) offered at primary care level, Co...

Authors: Daphne Lagrou, Rony Zachariah, Karen Bissell, Catherine Van Overloop, Masood Nasim, Hamsaya Nikyar Wagma, Shafiqa Kakar, Séverine Caluwaerts, Eva De Plecker, Renzo Fricke and Rafael Van den Bergh

The role of public health information in assistance to populations living in opposition and contested areas of Syria, 2012–2014

The Syrian armed conflict is the worst humanitarian tragedy this century. With approximately 470,000 deaths and more than 13 million people displaced, the conflict continues to have a devastating impact on the...

Authors: Emma Diggle, Wilhelmina Welsch, Richard Sullivan, Gerbrand Alkema, Abdihamid Warsame, Mais Wafai, Mohammed Jasem, Abdulkarim Ekzayez, Rachael Cummings and Preeti Patel

Health needs of older populations affected by humanitarian crises in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

The combination of global demographic changes and a growing number of humanitarian crises in middle-income countries that have a higher life expectancy has led to an increase in the number of older populations...

Authors: Emma Massey, James Smith and Bayard Roberts

A comprehensive review of HIV/STI prevention and sexual and reproductive health services among sex Workers in Conflict-Affected Settings: call for an evidence- and rights-based approach in the humanitarian response

While the conditions in emergency humanitarian and conflict-affected settings often result in significant sex work economies, there is limited information on the social and structural conditions of sex work in...

Authors: Alyssa Ferguson, Kate Shannon, Jennifer Butler and Shira M. Goldenberg

Including refugees in disease elimination: challenges observed from a sleeping sickness programme in Uganda

Ensuring equity between forcibly-displaced and host area populations is a key challenge for global elimination programmes. We studied Uganda’s response to the recent refugee influx from South Sudan to identify...

Authors: Jennifer J. Palmer, Okello Robert and Freddie Kansiime

Public health implications of complex emergencies and natural disasters

During the last decade, conflict or natural disasters have displaced unprecedented numbers of persons. This leads to conditions prone to outbreaks that imperil the health of displaced persons and threaten glob...

Authors: Amanda Culver, Roger Rochat and Susan T. Cookson

Improving detection of mental health problems in community settings in Nepal: development and pilot testing of the community informant detection tool

Despite increasing efforts to expand availability of mental health services throughout the world, there continues to be limited utilization of these services by persons with mental illness and their families. ...

Authors: Prasansa Subba, Nagendra P. Luitel, Brandon A. Kohrt and Mark J. D. Jordans

Addressing culture and context in humanitarian response: preparing desk reviews to inform mental health and psychosocial support

Delivery of effective mental health and psychosocial support programs requires knowledge of existing health systems and socio-cultural context. To respond rapidly to humanitarian emergencies, international org...

Authors: M. Claire Greene, Mark J. D. Jordans, Brandon A. Kohrt, Peter Ventevogel, Laurence J. Kirmayer, Ghayda Hassan, Anna Chiumento, Mark van Ommeren and Wietse A. Tol

Prioritizing programming to address the needs and risks of very young adolescents: a summary of findings across three humanitarian settings

Between 2013 and 2014, a series of qualitative and quantitative research efforts were undertaken in three conflict affected communities (Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Somali refugees in Kobe Re...

Authors: Jennifer Schlecht, Catherine Lee, Brad Kerner, Meghan Greeley and Courtland Robinson

Sexual and reproductive health needs and risks of very young adolescent refugees and migrants from Myanmar living in Thailand

The very young adolescent (VYA) population age 10–14 years is often neglected in the field of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research due to the combined sensitivity of the topic and the young age group,...

Authors: Catherine Lee, Yasmina Aules, Samira Sami, Paw Kree Lar, Jennifer Schlect and Courtland Robinson

A qualitative study exploring child marriage practices among Syrian conflict-affected populations in Lebanon

Recent reports have suggested that child marriage among Syrians may be increasing as a result of displacement and conflict. This study sought to gather qualitative data about the factors that promote child mar...

Authors: Rima Mourtada, Jennifer Schlecht and Jocelyn DeJong

Understanding the unique experiences, perspectives and sexual and reproductive health needs of very young adolescents: Somali refugees in Ethiopia

Kobe Refugee camp hosts roughly 39,000 refugees displaced from Somalia during the 2011–2012 Horn of Africa Crisis. Sexual and reproductive health, as with the greater issues of health and well-being for adoles...

Authors: Luis Ortiz-Echevarria, Meghan Greeley, Tenaw Bawoke, Linnea Zimmerman, Courtland Robinson and Jennifer Schlecht

Transitions into puberty and access to sexual and reproductive health information in two humanitarian settings: a cross-sectional survey of very young adolescents from Somalia and Myanmar

Very young adolescents (VYA) in humanitarian settings are largely neglected in terms of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This study describes the characteristics of VYA aged 10-14 years in two humanitaria...

Authors: Anna E. Kågesten, Linnea Zimmerman, Courtland Robinson, Catherine Lee, Tenaw Bawoke, Shahd Osman and Jennifer Schlecht

Young lives disrupted: gender and well-being among adolescent Syrian refugees in Lebanon

The conflict in Syria that began in 2011 has resulted in the exodus of over 5 million Syrian refugees to neighbouring countries, with more than one million refugees currently registered by UNHCR in Lebanon. Wh...

Authors: Jocelyn DeJong, Farah Sbeity, Jennifer Schlecht, Manale Harfouche, Rouham Yamout, Fouad M. Fouad, Seema Manohar and Courtland Robinson

Examining the need & potential for biomedical engineering to strengthen health care delivery for displaced populations & victims of conflict

Conflict and the subsequent displacement of populations creates unique challenges in the delivery of quality health care to the affected population. Equitable access to quality care demands a multi-pronged str...

Authors: Devika Nadkarni, Imad Elhajj, Zaher Dawy, Hala Ghattas and Muhammad H. Zaman

Understanding the menstrual hygiene management challenges facing displaced girls and women: findings from qualitative assessments in Myanmar and Lebanon

There is a significant gap in empirical evidence on the menstrual hygiene management (MHM) challenges faced by adolescent girls and women in emergency contexts, and on appropriate humanitarian response approac...

Authors: Margaret L. Schmitt, David Clatworthy, Ruwan Ratnayake, Nicole Klaesener-Metzner, Elizabeth Roesch, Erin Wheeler and Marni Sommer

Mental health assessments in refugees and asylum seekers: evaluation of a tablet-assisted screening software

Mental health problems resulting from persecution and forced migration are very common among refugees and asylum seekers and evolve into a major public health challenge in hosting societies. Language barriers ...

Authors: Naser Morina, Simon M. Ewers, Sandra Passardi, Ulrich Schnyder, Christine Knaevelsrud, Julia Müller, Richard A. Bryant, Angela Nickerson and Matthis Schick

Non-communicable diseases in humanitarian settings: ten essential questions

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent the primary cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Specific attention needs to be given in fragile and crisis-affected contexts, where health systems have even m...

Authors: S. Aebischer Perone, E. Martinez, S. du Mortier, R. Rossi, M. Pahud, V. Urbaniak, F. Chappuis, O. Hagon, F. Jacquérioz Bausch and D. Beran

A review of factors affecting the transfer of sexual and reproductive health training into practice in low and lower-middle income country humanitarian settings

A lack of access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among displaced women and girls of reproductive age. Efforts to address this public health emergenc...

Authors: Kristen Beek, Angela Dawson and Anna Whelan

Understanding processes of risk and protection that shape the sexual and reproductive health of young women affected by conflict: the price of protection

It is assumed that knowing what puts young women at risk of poor sexual health outcomes and, in turn, what protects them against these outcomes, will enable greater targeted protection as well as help in desig...

Authors: Aisha Hutchinson, Philippa Waterhouse, Jane March-McDonald, Sarah Neal and Roger Ingham

Justification for a Nuclear Global Health Workforce: multidisciplinary analysis of risk, survivability & preparedness, with emphasis on the triage management of thermal burns

Major challenges and crises in global health will not be solved by health alone; requiring rather a multidisciplinary, evidence-based analytical approach to prevention, preparedness and response. One such pote...

Authors: Frederick M. Burkle Jr, Tom Potokar, James E. Gosney Jr and Cham Dallas

Cardiovascular disease risk and prevention amongst Syrian refugees: mixed methods study of Médecins Sans Frontières programme in Jordan

The growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presented new challenges for medical humanitarian aid and little was known about primary health care approaches for these diseases in humanitarian respons...

Authors: Dylan R.J. Collins, Kiran Jobanputra, Thomas Frost, Shoaib Muhammed, Alison Ward, Abed Alrazzaq Shafei, Taissir Fardous, Sadeq Gabashneh and Carl Heneghan

A weak health response is increasing the risk of excess mortality as food crisis worsens in Somalia

Authors: Andrew Seal, Francesco Checchi, Nancy Balfour, Abdi-Rashid Haji Nur and Mohamed Jelle

High burden of malaria and anemia among tribal pregnant women in a chronic conflict corridor in India

With more than 200 million cases a year, malaria is an important global health concern, especially among pregnant women. The forested tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh in India are aff...

Authors: Gustavo Corrêa, Mrinalini Das, Rama Kovelamudi, Nagendra Jaladi, Charlotte Pignon, Kalyan Vysyaraju, Usha Yedla, Vijya Laxmi, Pavani Vemula, Vijaya Gowthami, Hemant Sharma, Daniel Remartinez, Stobdan Kalon, Kirrily de Polnay, Martin De Smet and Petros Isaakidis

Low levels of viral suppression among refugees and host nationals accessing antiretroviral therapy in a Kenyan refugee camp

Refugees and host nationals who accessed antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a remote refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya (2011–2013) were compared on outcome measures that included viral suppression and adherence to ART.

Authors: Joshua B. Mendelsohn, Paul Spiegel, Alison Grant, Sathyanarayanan Doraiswamy, Marian Schilperoord, Natasha Larke, John Wagacha Burton, Jully A. Okonji, Clement Zeh, Bosco Muhindo, Ibrahim M. Mohammed, Irene N. Mukui, Njogu Patterson, Egbert Sondorp and David A. Ross

Family planning in refugee settings: findings and actions from a multi-country study

To address family planning for crisis-affected communities, in 2011 and 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Women’s Refugee Commission undertook a multi-country assessment to docume...

Authors: Mihoko Tanabe, Anna Myers, Prem Bhandari, Nadine Cornier, Sathyanarayanan Doraiswamy and Sandra Krause

Retrospective mortality among refugees from the Central African Republic arriving in Chad, 2014

The Central African Republic has known long periods of instability. In 2014, following the fall of an interim government installed by the Séléka coalition, a series of violent reprisals occurred. These events ...

Authors: Matthew E. Coldiron, Thomas Roederer, Augusto E. Llosa, Malika Bouhenia, Sassou Madi, Laurent Sury, Michaël Neuman and Klaudia Porten

Measurement invariance of the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist: a novel multigroup alignment analytic approach to a large epidemiological sample across eight conflict-affected districts from a nation-wide survey in Sri Lanka

The alignment method, a novel psychometric approach, represents a more flexible procedure for establishing measurement invariance in geographically, ethnically, or linguistically diverse samples, especially in...

Authors: Alvin Kuowei Tay, Rohan Jayasuriya, Dinuk Jayasuriya and Derrick Silove