Digital Health (Dec 2023)

The role of digital health in revolutionizing healthcare delivery and improving health outcomes in conflict zones

  • Sirwan Khalid Ahmed,
  • Safin Hussein,
  • Deepak Chandran,
  • Md. Rabiul Islam,
  • Kuldeep Dhama

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231218158
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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The provision and planning for healthcare delivery in conflict is a pressing imperative. Healthcare within these environments is naturally complex, given the entanglement of affected populations, militaries and oft-deteriorating public services. The field of digital health, placed at the intersection of healthcare and technology, has the power to revolutionize healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes worldwide. Its impact is particularly significant in conflict zones, where it can address the unique challenges faced by these regions. Violence, damaged infrastructure, restricted mobility, forced migration, and overstretched healthcare facilities are all hallmarks of conflict zones that demand novel approaches to addressing them. Health care delivery is being revolutionized by the introduction of digital health technology in conflict zones, which are improving access, emergency response capacities, health information management, and mental health assistance. Doctors and aid organizations can more easily overcome challenges and reach out to underserved populations in these regions because to digital technological improvements. Recent decades have seen a shift in the nature of conflict, and with it, a corresponding shift in the range of digital health solutions available to address geographical, epidemiological, and clinical gaps. The purpose of this letter is to inquire into the application of digital health in conflict zones and its potential to lessen the pressing healthcare needs of affected communities.