The Centre for Conflict & Health Research (CCHR) is a unique research collaboration that brings together members from across King’s College London and King’s Health Partners with global collaborations ranging from international NGOs to the security sector.
The CCHR, co-directed by Professors Preeti Patel War Studies) and Richard Sullivan (Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine), is one of the largest global groupings combining cross-faculty academic disciplines in international relations, war studies, economics, alongside a comprehensive suite of clinical expertise in conflict and health.
The relationships between security (covering human, national and international perspectives) and conflict is a key determinant of health, especially in fragile and conflict affected States. The CCHR works on a wide range of historical and contemporary conflict, security and health programmes with direct links to policy and practise. Our faculty work at the highest level from UK’s SAGE through to UN and WHO drawing on practical experience from policy-making to clinical practise.
CCHR’s aims:
- Understand the relationship between the health needs of all populations affected by conflict, complex humanitarian emergencies and post-conflict situations.
- Understand the breadth of healthcare providers and the barriers to accessing healthcare in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
- Understand the relationships between security and health at global, national and human levels.
- Study challenges of non-communicable diseases in conflict and post-conflict settings.
- Examine the interface between security, intelligence, and global health.
Themes and theme leads:
- Kristen Meagher - Women Leaders in Health and Conflict
- Abdulkarim Ekzayez and Preeti Patel - Health Systems and Conflict
- Martin Bricknell - Security Sector, Civil-Military Relations and Military Medicine
- Gemma Bowsher - Global Health Security and Health Intelligence
- Nassim el Achi - Research Capacity Strengthening in Conflict
- Hanna Kienzler - Civilian Mental Health in Conflict
- Peter von Dadelszen - Global Women’s Health
- Richard Sullivan - Cancer and Palliative Care
Study programmes:
- MSc Global Health with Conflict and Security pathway
- Intercalated BSc Global Health Module: Conflict and Security
People
Professor of African Studies
Reader in International Politics
Research Associate
Head of the School of Security Studies
Senior Research Associate
Professor in Conflict, Health and Military Medicine
Themes
Cancer & Palliative Care in Conflict
Through Research for Health in Conflict (R4HC), research capacity will be built around health systems research methods to inform policy, cancer surgery and palliative care. Specific research will also be undertaken on implementation of outcome measures, as a means to scale up quality, access, influence individual assessment and treatment plans for palliative care.
Civilian Mental Health in Conflict Settings
A project supporting interdisciplinary research capability for mental health in Palestine, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Health Intelligence & Biosecurity
The biosecurity and health intelligence research theme examines the preparedness and response capabilities of states and global systems to diverse biological threats ranging from disease outbreaks, health sector attacks and bio-weapons. Our work brings together a wide variety of scholars and practitioners from across disciplines to develop new knowledge and cutting-edge interventions in this rapidly developing field.
Medical Ethics in Crisis
The Medical Ethics in Crisis research theme is a forum for debate, research and teaching about the application of medical ethics in conflict, humanitarian emergencies and other crisis situations. We explore the challenges faced by healthcare workers in these situations, especially the concept of 'dual loyalty' between obligations attributable to ethical standards set by the healthcare professions and those of the employer of the individual healthcare worker.
Military Mental Health Research
The King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), at King’s College London (www.kcmhr.org), is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for health research among the UK Armed Forces community. KCMHR is independent of the Ministry of Defence and is led by Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Nicola Fear.
Research for Health in Conflict Capacity Building in MENA (R4HC-MENA)
Research capacity will be built around health systems research methods to inform healthcare and policy.
Research for Health Systems Strengthening in north west Syria (R4HSSS)
Our project studies the experience of health systems in north west Syria and develop plans for the health system in northern Syria for the early recovery phase. This will be done in relation to four elements of health system adaptation and strengthening; provision of health services, health education and medical training, health governance and financing, and the use of digital solutions in health information system to inform future post conflict systems strengthening.
Security Sector, Civil-Military Relations & Military Medicine
This Research Theme examines the relationships between the civilian and security components of a country's health economy, including civil-military relations/cooperation/coordination in the response to crises both domestic and international. We consider this theme from the perspectives of international relations, political economy, public health and clinical services, seeking to gain insights from a national and international perspective. Our recent research has covered frameworks for international comparisons, particularly focussed on observations from the COVID-19 crisis.
Weapons and Health
A project addressing some of the key security and societal risk associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.
Women Leaders in Health & Conflict
The WLHC initiative is working to build a sustainable platform to address the significant challenges and opportunities for women’s leadership at the nexus of conflict and health. We work in close collaboration with academic partners, NGOs, humanitarian practitioners and policy makers to develop new knowledge and an evidence base that evaluates the role of women in leadership in health in conflict affected settings.
Publications
Activities
The missing piece in global gender equality: women's leadership in health and armed conflict
Women are at the forefront of improving health for conflict-affected populations, yet they remain drastically under-represented in the most senior leadership roles Kristen Meagher
Zoonotic diseases including from domesticated animals pose greatest health security risk, say experts
A new report calls for greater surveillance of diseases in animal populations as part of a fully integrated health security intelligence system.
Disinformation and Epidemics: The Next Phase of Biowarfare with Rose Bernard
As we move beyond the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, we talk to Rose Bernard, doctoral researcher in global health security, in the Conflict and Health Research Group in the Department of War Studies. She believes the deluge of fake news that accompanied the coronavirus, along with the rapid rise of the anti-vax movement in the last 10 years, and misinformation during the Ebola outbreaks, reveal how damaging disinformation can be to public health efforts.
Lebanon: What Next?
Hosted by Research for Health in Conflict, (R4HC) Global Challenges Research Fund, the webinar provides a briefing on the social, economic and health situation from colleagues in Lebanon. We examine the current challenges, political risks and what may happen next.
News
Brexit and COVID-19 could cause European cancer epidemic
With an estimated one million cancer diagnoses missed across Europe in the last two years, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to set back...
Associates
Collaborators/Partners
- Dr Aula Abbara, consultant in Infectious Diseases/ General Internal Medicine at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College
- Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, Founder, Conflict Medicine Program, American University of Beirut Medical Center
- Dr Ben Barratt, Reader in Environmental Exposures & Public Health and Deputy Director of the Environmental Research Group.
- David Hewitson, Operations Director, Fenix Insight
- Colin King, Technical Director, Fenix Insight
- Leon Harris, Project Officer (Digital), Fenix Insight
- Dr Shoaib Hussein, Medical Doctor, Surgical Training, Thames Valley
- Alex Frost, Researcher for Mine Action Review
- Dr Adam Coutts, Research Associate in the Department of Sociology and a Senior Research Fellow at Magdalene College.
- Professor Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of Global Health Policy and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development, based in London, and a Professor of Practice in Global Health at Imperial College London.
- Markus Geisser, Senior Humanitarian Affairs and Policy Advisor, ICRC
- Maciek Polkowski, Head of the Health Care in Danger initiative, ICRC
- Eddie Chaloner, Consultant Vascular Surgeon, BMI Healthcare
- France Donnay, Consultant in Women's Health Global Policies, Programs and Practices (could suggest other names)
- Dr Lale Say, Unit Head, SRH Integration in Health Systems (SHS)
- Professor Veronique Filippi, Professor in Maternal Health and Epidemiology, LSHTM
- Zulfiqar Bhutta, Co-Director, Director of Research, Centre for Global Child Health, University of Toronto & Aga Khan University
- Professor Marleen Temmerman, Belgian gynaecologist, professor and former Senator, currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Ewan Cameron, Visiting Lecturer at KCL, expert in international military medical services
- Dr Mohamed Gad, health economist at Imperial College Londo
- Joseph Kazibwe, Assistant Technical Analyst (Health Economics) at Imperial College London
- Emily Quirk, Medical Student at Imperial College London
- Dr Andreas Papamichail, Lecturer in Global Health & International Relations, Queen Mary University London
- Fawzia Gibson-Fall, PhD student, , Queen Mary University London
- Dr Andrew Tchie, Former Research Fellow for Conflict, Security and Development, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Wim Zwjinenburg, PAX
People
Professor of African Studies
Reader in International Politics
Research Associate
Head of the School of Security Studies
Senior Research Associate
Professor in Conflict, Health and Military Medicine
Themes
Cancer & Palliative Care in Conflict
Through Research for Health in Conflict (R4HC), research capacity will be built around health systems research methods to inform policy, cancer surgery and palliative care. Specific research will also be undertaken on implementation of outcome measures, as a means to scale up quality, access, influence individual assessment and treatment plans for palliative care.
Civilian Mental Health in Conflict Settings
A project supporting interdisciplinary research capability for mental health in Palestine, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Health Intelligence & Biosecurity
The biosecurity and health intelligence research theme examines the preparedness and response capabilities of states and global systems to diverse biological threats ranging from disease outbreaks, health sector attacks and bio-weapons. Our work brings together a wide variety of scholars and practitioners from across disciplines to develop new knowledge and cutting-edge interventions in this rapidly developing field.
Medical Ethics in Crisis
The Medical Ethics in Crisis research theme is a forum for debate, research and teaching about the application of medical ethics in conflict, humanitarian emergencies and other crisis situations. We explore the challenges faced by healthcare workers in these situations, especially the concept of 'dual loyalty' between obligations attributable to ethical standards set by the healthcare professions and those of the employer of the individual healthcare worker.
Military Mental Health Research
The King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), at King’s College London (www.kcmhr.org), is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for health research among the UK Armed Forces community. KCMHR is independent of the Ministry of Defence and is led by Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Nicola Fear.
Research for Health in Conflict Capacity Building in MENA (R4HC-MENA)
Research capacity will be built around health systems research methods to inform healthcare and policy.
Research for Health Systems Strengthening in north west Syria (R4HSSS)
Our project studies the experience of health systems in north west Syria and develop plans for the health system in northern Syria for the early recovery phase. This will be done in relation to four elements of health system adaptation and strengthening; provision of health services, health education and medical training, health governance and financing, and the use of digital solutions in health information system to inform future post conflict systems strengthening.
Security Sector, Civil-Military Relations & Military Medicine
This Research Theme examines the relationships between the civilian and security components of a country's health economy, including civil-military relations/cooperation/coordination in the response to crises both domestic and international. We consider this theme from the perspectives of international relations, political economy, public health and clinical services, seeking to gain insights from a national and international perspective. Our recent research has covered frameworks for international comparisons, particularly focussed on observations from the COVID-19 crisis.
Weapons and Health
A project addressing some of the key security and societal risk associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.
Women Leaders in Health & Conflict
The WLHC initiative is working to build a sustainable platform to address the significant challenges and opportunities for women’s leadership at the nexus of conflict and health. We work in close collaboration with academic partners, NGOs, humanitarian practitioners and policy makers to develop new knowledge and an evidence base that evaluates the role of women in leadership in health in conflict affected settings.
Publications
Activities
The missing piece in global gender equality: women's leadership in health and armed conflict
Women are at the forefront of improving health for conflict-affected populations, yet they remain drastically under-represented in the most senior leadership roles Kristen Meagher
Zoonotic diseases including from domesticated animals pose greatest health security risk, say experts
A new report calls for greater surveillance of diseases in animal populations as part of a fully integrated health security intelligence system.
Disinformation and Epidemics: The Next Phase of Biowarfare with Rose Bernard
As we move beyond the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, we talk to Rose Bernard, doctoral researcher in global health security, in the Conflict and Health Research Group in the Department of War Studies. She believes the deluge of fake news that accompanied the coronavirus, along with the rapid rise of the anti-vax movement in the last 10 years, and misinformation during the Ebola outbreaks, reveal how damaging disinformation can be to public health efforts.
Lebanon: What Next?
Hosted by Research for Health in Conflict, (R4HC) Global Challenges Research Fund, the webinar provides a briefing on the social, economic and health situation from colleagues in Lebanon. We examine the current challenges, political risks and what may happen next.
News
Brexit and COVID-19 could cause European cancer epidemic
With an estimated one million cancer diagnoses missed across Europe in the last two years, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to set back...
Associates
Collaborators/Partners
- Dr Aula Abbara, consultant in Infectious Diseases/ General Internal Medicine at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College
- Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, Founder, Conflict Medicine Program, American University of Beirut Medical Center
- Dr Ben Barratt, Reader in Environmental Exposures & Public Health and Deputy Director of the Environmental Research Group.
- David Hewitson, Operations Director, Fenix Insight
- Colin King, Technical Director, Fenix Insight
- Leon Harris, Project Officer (Digital), Fenix Insight
- Dr Shoaib Hussein, Medical Doctor, Surgical Training, Thames Valley
- Alex Frost, Researcher for Mine Action Review
- Dr Adam Coutts, Research Associate in the Department of Sociology and a Senior Research Fellow at Magdalene College.
- Professor Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of Global Health Policy and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development, based in London, and a Professor of Practice in Global Health at Imperial College London.
- Markus Geisser, Senior Humanitarian Affairs and Policy Advisor, ICRC
- Maciek Polkowski, Head of the Health Care in Danger initiative, ICRC
- Eddie Chaloner, Consultant Vascular Surgeon, BMI Healthcare
- France Donnay, Consultant in Women's Health Global Policies, Programs and Practices (could suggest other names)
- Dr Lale Say, Unit Head, SRH Integration in Health Systems (SHS)
- Professor Veronique Filippi, Professor in Maternal Health and Epidemiology, LSHTM
- Zulfiqar Bhutta, Co-Director, Director of Research, Centre for Global Child Health, University of Toronto & Aga Khan University
- Professor Marleen Temmerman, Belgian gynaecologist, professor and former Senator, currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Ewan Cameron, Visiting Lecturer at KCL, expert in international military medical services
- Dr Mohamed Gad, health economist at Imperial College Londo
- Joseph Kazibwe, Assistant Technical Analyst (Health Economics) at Imperial College London
- Emily Quirk, Medical Student at Imperial College London
- Dr Andreas Papamichail, Lecturer in Global Health & International Relations, Queen Mary University London
- Fawzia Gibson-Fall, PhD student, , Queen Mary University London
- Dr Andrew Tchie, Former Research Fellow for Conflict, Security and Development, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Wim Zwjinenburg, PAX
Group leads
Director, Institute of Cancer Policy and Co-Director of the Centre for Conflict & Health Research
Professor of Global Health and Conflict and Co-Director of the Centre for Conflict & Health Research
Contact us
- Follow us on Twitter: @CHRGatKCL
- Find us on YouTube