Debate

Public health, conflict and human rights: toward a collaborative research agenda

Oskar NT Thoms¹ and James Ron²

¹  Independent research consultant, Ottawa, Canada

²  Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

author email corresponding author email

Conflict and Health 2007, 1:11doi:10.1186/1752-1505-1-11

Published:	15 November 2007

Abstract

Although epidemiology is increasingly contributing to policy debates on issues of conflict and human rights, its potential is still underutilized. As a result, this article calls for greater collaboration between public health researchers, conflict analysts and human rights monitors, with special emphasis on retrospective, population-based surveys. The article surveys relevant recent public health research, explains why collaboration is useful, and outlines possible future research scenarios, including those pertaining to the indirect and long-term consequences of conflict; human rights and security in conflict prone areas; and the link between human rights, conflict, and International Humanitarian Law.