Health and peace building

                      

‘There year was 1994. Another crackdown was announced. But this one we will not forget for a very long time. Army men after ravaging our village home took my 15 year old son into custody. He was sodomized by these men and later released in half dead condition; Diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, he died a month later. They said he committed suicide. We knew it was the shame and guilt he felt that made him take this extreme step. Two of my brothers got shot down at point blank range by unidentified armed men. Cause: unknown till date.’ This is a recollection by a dying man who remembers his son and brothers who lost their lives to bullets. Needless to say this is just one of the hundreds of heart breaking realities (not stories) which I have had the misfortune to hear.

I took up the profession of medicine when my motherland was engulfed in a mayhem which was consuming human lives.  I have seen conflict and the ugliness it creates, very closely in my personal as well as professional life. As a doctor I come across the diseases caused by conflict in the form of violence - armed conflicts in particular - which pose a direct threat to physical health like malnutrition/starvation, loss of limbs, amputations etc as well as psychological trauma.

        The encompassing maxim of our times is conflict and violence. In conflict-ridden and politically insecure areas casualties caused by diseases far overshadow the numbers killed by violence, which include psychosocial and sexual violence. For a better future we need to scrutinize the relationship between health and peace-building in humanitarian crises and development, and focus specifically on the over all health and social impact of violence. Health constructs important structure for social healing and the restoration of social relationships disrupted by political violence. Humanitarian practices at the basis of health and the work of health professionals can provide the platform for rejuvenating communities, cultivating long-term progress, development and peace building. In order to prevent conflict and form more amicable and harmonious societies, there is an urgent need to novel approaches to address the effect of political conflicts. As a doctor I firmly believe that health care is one means by which society institutionalizes feelings of care and compassion; its juxtaposition with humane objectives can beat human differences. Since we are living in a world which is perpetually infected by conflict, it only makes sense for doctors to take active part in brokering peace. Health is mot merely the absence of disease and swallowing of pills. It is integrated and unified with lots of social fibers including human right, economic disparity, violence and many more.

As a health care professional, I feel it is our responsibility to use knowledge and skills for the betterment of all in a manner that transcends political concepts and considerations. We need to apply a multi pronged approach to tackle conflict and help in peace building, demonstrate knowledge about the impact of direct and structural violence on individuals and societies, highlight the range of different ways in which we as doctors can contribute to the reduction of peace deficits and do their bit for violence prevention and peace promotion. Few things could be more rewarding than knowing that you have contributed to world peace. It is a worthy goal that should be embraced by us all.   

(The author is Assistant Professor at Department of Microbiology, SKIMS Medical College and can be reached at rubynask@gmail.com)