1032A Critical Assessment of Typologies of Conflict and their Relevance to Public Health Research. (2nd September 2021) - Saad, Ghada
Abstract: Background: Performing multi-country comparisons of the impact of armed conflict on health is not straightforward given the absence of an agreed definition of armed conflict and the multitude of categorizations/typologies identifying conflict-affected settings. Our analysis provides a critical review of available typologies to assess their usefulness for public health research. Methods: Through a two-step comprehensive literature review, we identified available conflict-related typologies and performed a further multiple-database literature review to identify literature critiquing these typologies. Based on this information and our critical systematic assessment, we recommended optimal typologies for use in public health research. Results: We identified 28 conflict-related typologies that we evaluated systematically to arrive at four typologies that are most suited for public health researchers examining for example, the effects of conflict on maternal and child health. These are the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, Heidelberg Institute of International Conflict Research (HIIK)-Conflict Barometer, Major Episodes of Political Violence and the Global Peace Index. These typologies are global in scope, address all types of violence, are regularly updated and do not include health/development indicators within their definitions. Conclusion: All retrieved typologies have limitations, there are critiques of how conflicts and their intensity rankings are defined. Nevertheless, the four selected typologies provide useful tools for researchers aiming to make multi-country comparisons of the impact of armed conflict on health. Key messages: There is no single agreed typology that provides a comprehensive picture of armed conflict across diverse settings. The most suitable typologies need to be complemented by in-country qualitative situation assessments.