Health Diplomacy as a Tool to Build Resilient Health Systems in Conflict Settings—A Case of Sudan

Abstract

Attacks on health have become a significant concern for non-belligerents of war, including healthcare personnel and facilities, as witnessed in the ongoing Sudan conflict. About 1.5 billion people in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) have a heightened need for essential health services. Conflicts often lead to the disruption of the building blocks of health systems, a lack of access to health facilities, the failure of essential medical supply chains, the collapse of political, social and economic systems, the migration of health care workers, and upsurges in illness. While health indicators often decline in conflict, health can also bring peace and harmony among communities. An investment in building resilient health systems and health diplomacy is a neutral starting point for mitigating the repercussions of conflicts. The international commitment towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides the impetus to emphasise the relationship between health and peace with the amalgamation of SDG 3, SDG 16, and SDG 17. The inspection of how health diplomacy should be used as a ‘tool for peace’ and not as leverage in conflict settings must be reiterated by the international community.