UK Fuelling Conflict In Sub Saharan Africa

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 13 Dec 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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A recent report published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) highlights the fact that Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) are the only weapons used in 94% of conflicts. The UK was the second largest exporter of these weapons into SSA, behind France, accounting for 10% of their total imports between 1992-2004.

The two authors, Bernadette O'Hare, a consultant paediatrician, and David Southall, Honorary Director at Child Advocacy International, conclude that children under the age of five in SSA are more likely to die, more likely to be underweight and less likely to have received vaccinations than children under the age of five in SSA that haven't experienced conflicts.

"The median under-5 mortality rate in countries with recent conflict is 197 per 1000 live births, while for countries without recent conflict this rate is significantly lower at 137 per1000 live births," write the authors.

They go on to say that "In Darfur, where 1.25 million people are displaced at the present time, children die at rates between 1 and 5.9 per 1000 per day, or between 37 and 215 per 1000 per year."

The report points out that in the SSA countries that have experienced conflict, child enrolment in primary schools and female literacy is lower than that in countries that haven't experienced conflict, not only putting the children at a disadvantage but also the future development of the country.

First do no harm: the impact of recent armed conflict on maternal and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa

'First do no harm: the impact of recent armed conflict on maternal and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa' is published in the December issue (Vol.100) of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

JRSM is the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. It has full editorial independence of the RSM. It has been published continuously since 1809. Its Editor is Dr Kamran Abbasi. The December issue of the JRSM was published on Friday 30 November 2007. The article will be available free at http://www.jrsm.org shortly.

Royal Society of Medicine