WHO: Conflict deepens health crisis across Middle East
11 March 2026 News release Cairo/Geneva
'More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the Region are coming under strain as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on health care continue, and public health risks increase...
WHO calls on all parties to protect civilians and health care, ensure 'unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and pursue de-escalation of the conflict so communities can begin to recover and move towards peace.'
COMMENT (NPW): What do we know about quality of health care in conflict situations? I invite you to comment. As a starting point, we can take the HIFA acronym of SEISMIC: for effective health care, every healthcare provider requires Skills, Equipment, Systems support, Medicines, Information and Commnication. In conflict situations all six of these components may be negatively impacted. I invite us to explore the question: What are the information needs of family caregivers, primary health worker and hospital staff in conflict situations? Meeting their information needs - in any given context - is at least as important as meeting the information needs in peace time.
I asked Google: What are the information needs of family caregivers and health workers in conflict situations? It told me nothing.
I asked ChatGPT and it responded much more comprehensively:
"In conflict or humanitarian crisis settings, family caregivers and health workers face severe constraints such as damaged health systems, displacement, insecurity, and limited resources. Their information needs become critical for maintaining health services, supporting patients, and protecting communities. These needs can be grouped into several key categories.
1. Information needs of family caregivers in conflict situations
Family caregivers (e.g., parents, spouses, relatives caring for sick or injured family members) often provide the majority of care when formal health systems collapse or are inaccessible...
2. Information needs of health workers in conflict settings...
Clinical knowledge for common emergency conditions
They require up-to-date, practical clinical guidance for high-burden conditions...
In conflict situations, information needs revolve around practical survival-oriented healthcare knowledge, access to services, psychosocial support, and operational guidance..."
If you or your organisation are interested in this topic, and if you have £100+, please consider co-sponsoring a HIFA thematic discussion to address this in depth. www.hifa.org/projects
Email: neil@hifa.org
With thanks, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org