The Task Force on Conflict and Public Health wraps up its 2006-2007 activities with a public event featuring Dr. Christopher Murray of Harvard University. A prominent physician and health economist and former Executive Director of the Evidence and Information for Policy Cluster at the World Health Organization, Dr. Murray will address the relationship between armed conflict and public health. While conflict has obvious detrimental effects on health, less is known about the correlation between maintaining healthy populations and resolving or managing armed conflict. This discussion will address current research on these issues and suggest possible avenues for fruitful communication between the fields of public health, public policy and conflict management.

About the Task Force

The aim of the USIP/JHSPH Task Force on Public Health and Conflict is to assist practitioners to better fulfill their public health objectives by equipping them with conflict analysis tools as a part of the education in the public health curriculum. Public Health professionals who have a better understanding of the larger political context of health crises will also have a better understanding of the political options available for addressing such crises. In turn mediators, negotiators, and peacebuilders will enhance their ability to make broad and lasting peace when they consider the health implications of their policies and agreements.

Events

Through a series of encounters among scholars, practitioners, and students, the Task Force is taking steps toward raising the profile of conflict analysis and resolution in the field of public health education. The first of these encounters took place in November 2006 and February 2007 examining the cases of North Korea and Afghanistan. In January, USIP ran a conflict analysis and resolution workshop for public health professionals.

Speakers

• Dr. Christopher Murray
  Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Policy; Director, Harvard Initiative for Global Health, Harvard School of Public Health
• Dr. Scott Barrett, Discussant
  Professor of Environmental Economics & International Political Economy
  Director, International Policy Program The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University