Researching Violence Against Health Care: Gaps and Priorities

Our Researching Violence Against Health Care: Gaps and Priorities report identifies key evidence gaps that need to be filled through rigorous research if we are to identify solutions to prevent and protect health care from violence.

It is the result of a strategic collaboration between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Elrha, with research undertaken by RAND Europe, to provide a Situational Analysis and Review of the Evidence Base on violence against health care, as part of the ICRC’s Health Care in Danger initiative.

The report investigates the current status of research on violence against health care, identifies research gaps and conducts an initial prioritisation of future research. This is achieved through a combination of structured literature review, key informant interviews, and a series of internal workshops.

We know that one of the key barriers to identifying effective solutions to address violence against health care is a lack of knowledge of the global evidence that could be used to inform interventions in different countries and settings. This report brings together this evidence, by identifying literature from low, middle and high-income countries, countries both at peace and in conflict. We also identify key research gaps that need to be filled if we are to find solutions to protect health care workers and facilities from violence.

The report aims to facilitate learning across the global community, so resources can be generated to support meaningful research that will see an end to violence against health care.

With ICRC, and the report authors RAND Europe, we shared the findings of this review at on online launch event chaired by Professor Gilles Carbonnier, ICRC Vice President. Watch it below:

Photo credit: Ahmad Masood/Reuters