The Silent Health Crisis: How Armed Conflict Devastates Civilian Health, Years After Fighting Ends

Armed conflict poses one of the most significant yet often overlooked threats to public health worldwide. A growing body of research demonstrates that war doesn’t just claim lives through direct violence; it creates cascading health crises that harm civilian populations for years or even decades after fighting stops.

The British Medical Journal recently highlighted this critical issue in an editorial examining the profound interconnection between peace and health. As researchers across leading institutions have now documented, the health consequences of war are both immediate and devastating in their long-term impact.

The Cardiovascular Crisis

Recent systematic research from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine reveals disturbing patterns in how armed conflict affects heart health among civilian populations. The research, published in the journal Heart, analysed data from conflicts across low- and middle-income countries including Syria, Lebanon, Bosnia, Croatia, Palestine, Colombia and Sudan.

The findings are sobering. Living in a warzone significantly increases civilians’ risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes—often years after the conflict has ended. In one striking example, researchers examining data from Iraq found that heart attack and stroke deaths nearly doubled following the 2003 invasion. Death rates from these conditions increased from 147.9 per 100,000 people before the conflict to 228.8 per 100,000 afterwards. In fact, heart disease became the principal cause of approximately half of all non-violent deaths during that conflict.

The mechanisms driving these cardiovascular impacts are complex but well-understood. Direct exposure to conflict and displacement increases stress and anxiety, which elevates blood pressure and worsens existing risk factors. Simultaneously, the destruction of healthcare infrastructure eliminates the screening programmes and medication access that people with chronic conditions depend upon. Patients cannot obtain statins for cholesterol management, insulin for diabetes, or regular blood pressure monitoring—luxuries that seem secondary when survival is uncertain.

Infant Mortality and the Destruction of Health Systems

The impact on vulnerable populations is even more stark. Research from University College London found that civil wars increase infant mortality rates by an average of 5.2 per cent in the following year. International conflicts are even more deadly, associated with increases of approximately 10.5 per cent. When these conflicts persist over years, the cumulative toll becomes catastrophic. In some cases, entire populations have seen infant mortality rates more than double.

The destruction of maternity services, vaccination programmes, and access to clean water and sanitation creates preventable health crises. Disease outbreaks, which become far more likely without functional health systems and vaccination coverage, then spread unchecked through displaced populations.

Attacks on Healthcare Workers and Facilities

A concerning trend has emerged in recent years: the deliberate targeting of healthcare facilities and medical personnel. According to Médecins Sans Frontières, attacks on medical care in armed conflicts have reached record levels. In 2025 alone, the World Health Organisation documented 1,348 attacks on medical facilities, resulting in 1,981 deaths among medical personnel and patients. This represents a doubling of fatalities compared to 2024.

Sudan experienced the heaviest toll, with 1,620 people killed, followed by Myanmar, Palestine, Syria and Ukraine. These attacks violate international humanitarian law protections, yet warring parties increasingly justify them by claiming healthcare facilities have “lost protection” because they allegedly serve military purposes. The consequence is catastrophic: people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease lose access to life-saving treatment.

Long-Term Recovery and Global Health Governance

One of the most challenging aspects of conflict-related health crises is their persistence. Even after fighting ends, countries face enormous challenges rebuilding healthcare systems, retraining health workers, and restoring public trust in medical institutions. The psychological trauma of living through conflict, coupled with the structural destruction of health services, means populations remain vulnerable to poor health outcomes for years.

The British Medical Journal has raised important questions about global health governance during and after conflicts. As international attention to these crises intensifies, the global health community faces difficult questions about funding priorities, the role of major philanthropic institutions, and how to protect vulnerable populations—particularly women and girls, who bear disproportionate burdens during conflict.

Key Takeaways

• Armed conflict significantly increases civilian risk of heart disease and stroke, with effects lasting years after fighting ceases
• Infant mortality rates increase by an average of 5–10 per cent during wars, with far greater increases in prolonged or destructive conflicts
• Attacks on healthcare facilities and workers have reached record levels, leaving millions without access to essential medicines and routine care
• Healthcare system collapse forces governments to prioritise defence spending over preventive health services and disease screening

What This Means for Kent Residents

Whilst Kent has not experienced armed conflict in recent centuries, residents should understand how these global health crises affect the wider NHS. When international conflicts destabilise healthcare systems in other countries, they contribute to disease outbreaks, displacement, and migration pressures that eventually reach British shores. Additionally, research into conflict-related health impacts helps the NHS better understand how to support refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Kent, many of whom carry the physical and psychological health burdens of war.

If you are a Kent resident concerned about global health issues or seeking support with health problems linked to displacement or trauma, your GP surgery can provide referrals to specialist services. For mental health support, NHS Kent and Medway provides dedicated services for trauma and anxiety. The local NHS is equipped to help those affected by conflict-related health conditions, though early intervention and prevention remain far preferable to managing the long-term consequences of war.