Navigating Conflict: Priority Setting Challenges and Best Practices
-
Haniye Sadat Sajadi
,
Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed Musa
,
Pitiphon Promduangsi
,
Elham Ehsani-chimeh
,
Reza Majdzadeh
,
Mohamed Abdi Jama
Abstract
Many low- and middle-income countries currently contend with conflict arising from war, political instability, or sanctions. These conflicts have directly impacted the accessibility and availability of healthcare services and products, resulting in increased mortality rates and endangering public health. The complex economic, social, and political circumstances stemming from these conflicts pose significant challenges to the effective functioning of health systems. This perspective will explore the experiences of setting priorities in health amidst countries under different conflicts, including prolonged chronic conflict (Sudan, Somalia), sanctions (Iran), and temporary conflict (Thailand). It aims to provide insight into the distinct obstacles and potential solutions associated with prioritizing health in these complex settings.
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12. Sajadi HS, Majdzadeh R. Health system to response to economic sanctions: global evidence and lesson learned from Iran. Global Health. 2022;18(1):107. [PubMed ID:36581892]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC9797877]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-022-00901-w.
13. United Nations Somalia. Essential Package of Health Services launched in Somalia to improve maternal and child health 2014. Available from: https://somalia.un.org/en/20816-essential-pack- age-health-services-launched-somalia-improve-maternal-and- child-health.
14. Jama MA, Majdzadeh R, Reynolds T, Nur IM, Ismail AA, Moham- ud NA, et al. Revising the essential package of health services through stakeholder alignment, Somalia. Bull World Health Or- gan. 2023;101(11):738-42. [PubMed ID:37961055]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC10630727]. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.23.289733.
15. Baltussen R, Mwalim O, Blanchet K, Carballo M, Eregata GT, Hailu A, Huda M, Jama M, Johansson KA, Reynolds T, Raza W, Mallender J, Majdzadeh R. Decision-making processes for essential pack- ages of health services: experience from six countries. BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Jan;8(Suppl 1):e010704.
2. Rutherford S, Saleh S. Rebuilding health post-conflict: case studies, reflections and a revised framework. Health Policy Plan. 2019;34(3):230-45. [PubMed ID:30929027]. https://doi. org/10.1093/heapol/czz018.
3. International Society for Priorities in Health Conference. Shap- ing the Future of Health Prioritization: Strategies for Sustainable Solutions. Bangkok, Thailand. Priorities 2024.
4. Operation Data Portal. Sudan situation. 2025. Available from: https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/sudansituation.
5. Davis B, Jolliffe K. Achieving health equity in Southeast Myan- mar. 2016. Available from: https://data.opendevelopmentme- kong.net/th/dataset/36eee5a2-e44c-4142-8371-5b3f44178c9f/ resource/0f066ce3-6447-491d-ad67-fc717735f830/download/12.- achieving-health-equity-in-contested-corner-of-southeast-myan- mareng.pdf.
6. Sajadi HS, Yahyaei F, Ehsani-Chimeh E, Majdzadeh R. The human cost of economic sanctions and strategies for building health system resilience: A scoping review of studies in Iran. Int J Health Plann Manage. 2023;38(5):1142-60. [PubMed ID:37194133]. https:// doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3651.
7. Kokabisaghi F, Miller AC, Bashar FR, Salesi M, Zarchi AAK, Kera- matfar A, et al. Impact of United States political sanctions on in- ternational collaborations and research in Iran. BMJ Glob Health.
2019;4(5):e001692. [PubMed ID:31544001]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC6730615]. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001692.
8. Bradbury M. The Somali conflict: prospects for peace. Cowley, Ox- ford: Oxfam GB; 1994.
9. Daniels N. Accountability for reasonableness. BMJ. 2000;321(7272):1300-1. [PubMed ID:11090498]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC1119050]. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7272.1300.
10. Al Jazeera. After a year of war in Sudan, what is the situationnow? . 2024.
11. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Su- dan: Ten months of conflict - Key Facts and Figures (15 February 2024) https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/su- dan-ten-months-conflict-key-facts-and-figures-15-february-2024.
12. Sajadi HS, Majdzadeh R. Health system to response to economic sanctions: global evidence and lesson learned from Iran. Global Health. 2022;18(1):107. [PubMed ID:36581892]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC9797877]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-022-00901-w.
13. United Nations Somalia. Essential Package of Health Services launched in Somalia to improve maternal and child health 2014. Available from: https://somalia.un.org/en/20816-essential-pack- age-health-services-launched-somalia-improve-maternal-and- child-health.
14. Jama MA, Majdzadeh R, Reynolds T, Nur IM, Ismail AA, Moham- ud NA, et al. Revising the essential package of health services through stakeholder alignment, Somalia. Bull World Health Or- gan. 2023;101(11):738-42. [PubMed ID:37961055]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC10630727]. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.23.289733.
15. Baltussen R, Mwalim O, Blanchet K, Carballo M, Eregata GT, Hailu A, Huda M, Jama M, Johansson KA, Reynolds T, Raza W, Mallender J, Majdzadeh R. Decision-making processes for essential pack- ages of health services: experience from six countries. BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Jan;8(Suppl 1):e010704.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 9 No 3 (2025) | |
| Section | Letter | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/htaa.v9i3.19645 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Priority setting health system Conflict | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Sajadi H, Musa M, Promduangsi P, Ehsani-chimeh E, Majdzadeh R, Jama M. Navigating Conflict: Priority Setting Challenges and Best Practices. Health Tech Ass Act. 2025;9(3).
