Conflict and Health

War is intrinsically linked to casualty for those involved directly in fighting but also has far-reaching impacts on the health and wellbeing of civilians. Instability in regions of conflict can result in non-fatal injuries, susceptibility to disease, malnutrition, mental health consequences and gender-based violence. Compromised access to healthcare can further jeopardize the health of those living in unstable regions, resulting in insufficient general medical care.

This Collection welcomes submissions focused on the study of the short- and long- term health impacts of armed and political conflict. This includes healthcare access and health outcomes related to humanitarian crises or forced migration due to conflict, as well as primary research on health and medicine in soldiers, veterans, displaced or resident civilians and health workers. We encourage submissions of studies aimed at understanding challenges in practicing medicine and delivering effective healthcare in conflict-affected regions. This is a joint Collection across Communications Medicine, Nature Communications, Communications Psychology and Scientific Reports. The targeted journal will assess the submission’s suitability for peer-review and where articles do not align with journal scope but are likely suitable for another participating journal, express a recommendation to the authors.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3.