How public health is essential to building lasting peace
Integrating public health into peacebuilding campaigns in war-torn areas is essential to ensuring a lasting peace that meets the needs of the local populations
In conflict zones, survival depends on more than just the absence of war. While armies clash and governments struggle to restore order, the everyday lives of displaced populations are often shaped by an insidious enemy: disease.
In Yemen, where war has devastated the healthcare system, cholera outbreaks and malnutrition thrive, exacerbating human suffering. In Syria, trauma-induced mental health crises persist long after the fighting stops, leaving scars that peace agreements alone cannot heal.
These health challenges, from preventable diseases to mental trauma, are not just humanitarian issues—they are significant barriers to sustainable peace. Without addressing these pressing health needs, efforts to rebuild societies remain fragile and incomplete. Public health and peacebuilding must go hand in hand, for the true stability of societies begins with the health of their people.
The collapse of healthcare infrastructure is one of the first casualties of war, leaving a devastating legacy that can endure for generations. Hospitals and clinics are either destroyed or overwhelmed, and without access to basic healthcare, entire communities are vulnerable to preventable diseases, malnutrition, and mental health crises.
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In South Sudan, where years of conflict have eroded healthcare systems, this lack of access accelerates the cycle of suffering and deepens social divisions, fueling resentment and mistrust between communities. The absence of healthcare compounds the wounds of war, making peacebuilding efforts fragile at best. Public health is not just about treating disease; it's about fostering the conditions for long-term stability.
When communities experience tangible improvements in health outcomes—such as a reduction in child mortality or better mental health care—it helps rebuild trust in local governance, institutions, and each other. This trust forms the foundation for a collective vision of peace, where a healthier population is more likely to engage in rebuilding efforts, fostering cooperation and reducing the likelihood of future violence. Ignoring public health in post-conflict recovery is costly; without health, peace remains elusive.
Health interventions, when executed strategically, can also serve as bridges across deeply entrenched social divides. In war-torn regions where ethnic, religious, or political conflicts have fragmented communities, public health services become an unlikely yet powerful tool for peacebuilding. In post-genocide Rwanda, health workers from both Tutsi and Hutu communities worked side by side to deliver lifesaving services, symbolising the potential for reconciliation. Health workers, often representing different factions, unite under the common goal of saving lives. A vaccination campaign or a mental health outreach program can become a neutral, non-political space where former adversaries collaborate for the greater good. These initiatives do more than address immediate health needs—they offer an opportunity to heal deep-seated wounds caused by years of conflict.
Public health, in this context, becomes not just a service but a vital vehicle for social cohesion, fostering dialogue and cooperation between divided groups. Trust, once built through these shared efforts, forms the foundation for future collaboration in rebuilding communities and economies, paving the way for lasting peace. By bringing people together through health interventions, societies can begin the process of healing, one life at a time.
Despite these benefits, the connection between public health and peacebuilding is often overlooked in traditional peace efforts. Too often, peace processes focus solely on political negotiations or military disarmament, sidelining the health of the population. This oversight can have dire consequences: without addressing underlying health crises—such as disease outbreaks, mental health issues, or the lack of basic healthcare—peace remains fragile and is vulnerable to collapse.
After the civil war in Sierra Leone, for instance, the failure to address mental health needs contributed to persistent social unrest, while in post-conflict Afghanistan, the lack of healthcare exacerbated distrust in government institutions, delaying reconciliation efforts.
These examples highlight the dangers of neglecting public health in peacebuilding. To break this cycle, governments, international organisations, and NGOs must adopt a holistic approach that integrates public health into peace processes from the beginning. This means ensuring health experts are included in peace negotiations, prioritising healthcare in post-conflict recovery plans, and recognising that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without addressing the health of the population.
Though integrating public health into peacebuilding poses challenges—such as coordinating multiple actors or navigating political sensitivities—the benefits far outweigh the costs. By addressing health needs, we create a stronger foundation for lasting peace.
The Covid-19 pandemic serves as a stark reminder of how interconnected our world is and how quickly health issues can spill over into every aspect of society. In conflict zones, health crises like pandemics can exacerbate violence, triggering displacement, undermining peace efforts, and deepening existing social divisions.
In places like Yemen and Syria, where healthcare infrastructure has been decimated, Covid-19 intensified these challenges, escalating violence and delaying the return to stability. However, investing in health infrastructure, improving access to medical care, and addressing mental health concerns in post-conflict settings are essential to securing lasting peace.
Rebuilding health systems lays the foundation for social trust and stability. In Liberia, for example, post-conflict public health improvements helped reduce social unrest and rebuild faith in government institutions.
If we are to prevent future conflicts and ensure that peace is more than the absence of war, we must treat public health as an integral part of the peacebuilding process. This includes not only investing in healthcare but also ensuring that health interventions are coordinated with peacebuilding efforts, addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, and establishing sustainable systems that can weather future crises.
Peace and health are inseparable. Without long-term investments in health systems in conflict zones, the cycle of violence will persist, making true peace an elusive goal. The world must view health infrastructure as a cornerstone of peacebuilding, recognizing that the health of a population is a critical indicator of a society's stability and resilience.
The challenges are immense, but the solutions are clear. Public health professionals must be at the table alongside peace negotiators and conflict resolution experts. Their expertise—whether in assessing health needs, designing context-sensitive interventions, or ensuring equitable distribution of resources—is crucial to creating lasting peace.
We need policies that prioritise both health and peace, integrating them into a cohesive strategy for building stable, resilient societies. This might involve mandating the inclusion of health provisions in peace agreements or establishing multi-sectoral coalitions that address both public health and conflict resolution in post-conflict settings.
It is through this lens—that sees health as a pillar of peace—that we can rebuild war-torn regions. Stable, peaceful societies are more likely to have the infrastructure and governance systems that support long-term health, ensuring people not only survive but thrive.
By promoting health as a foundation for peace, we offer people the opportunity to rebuild their lives, contribute to their communities, and escape the cycles of violence and poverty that have long plagued them. Integrating public health and peacebuilding creates a stronger, healthier future for all.
Ultimately, the path to lasting peace lies not only in the cessation of violence but in the healing of societies. Health is fundamental to this process. By improving health outcomes, we rebuild trust, reduce social inequalities, and create the stability necessary for peace to flourish. If we are serious about creating peace, we must invest in the health of communities—not only because health is a basic human right but because a healthy society is the strongest foundation for a peaceful future.
This commitment must be long-term, with sustained investments in health infrastructure, mental health support, and equitable healthcare access. Governments, international organisations, and local actors must work together to ensure that health is prioritised alongside other peacebuilding efforts. Only then can we build a future where peace is not just the absence of war, but a thriving, inclusive, and resilient society.
Zaziratul Zannat is a public health scholar and humanitarian aid practitioner in a non-profit international organisation based in South Asia.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
