Health and human security: The public health impact of violent conflict

The consequences of violent conflict permeate countless aspects of society, and are not limited to the political and economic institutions of a state. The concept of human security extends traditional, state-centric notions of security to include the security and well-being of people that live within states. Adhering to the human security framework, I examine the effect of militarized conflict on the populations of states by evaluating the relationship between war and public health while taking into account relevant political and economic factors, including democracy and wealth. I argue that interstate and intrastate conflict negatively influences the health achievement of states and, therefore, the human security of their populations. I assess this relationship by analyzing data on summary measures of public health in all states between 1999 and 2001. My analysis suggests that the negative effect of war on health is particularly intense in the short term following the onset of a conflict.