The Humanitarian Health Evidence Review

This literature review uses peer-reviewed literature, non-peer reviewed (‘grey’) literature, and expert consultation/review of selected references to ensure all key publications have been taken into account.

Peer reviewed literature was located using electronic bibliographic databases such as Medline, Embase, and Global Health (depending on the health topic). The search structure consisted of the following:

• terms related to humanitarian crises
• AND terms related to public health interventions
• AND terms related to lower and middle income economies
• AND terms related to each of the nine health topics above

The search terms used for the main bibliographic databases are given in Annex 3. The additional health topic specific search terms were then added on (see Annexes).

Grey literature was sought using databases, humanitarian agency websites and search engines such as Google, R4D, ReliefWeb, Desastres, Eldis, ALNAP, CRED, RHRC, MSF Field Research, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR,  and ICRC.

Searches were supplemented by reviewing the reference lists (‘references of references’) of selected articles to find any other relevant papers.

The databases and search terms used for each health topic are given in the Annexes.

(Annexes can be viewed by downloading the full report)