Child health in armed conflict
Mechanism | Effect |
Mortality | The fatality rate of frontline combat infantry in Afghanistan was seven times higher than that in the rest of the armed forces9 |
Illness | Conditions for maintenance of child health deteriorate in war—nutrition, water, safety, sanitation, housing and access to health services. Sustained deficiencies in these areas have been shown to have significant impacts on growth in children and adolescence10 |
Mental health | Younger military personnel are at a greater risk of mental health disorders than their civilian counterparts:
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Educational outcomes | In the armed forces, educational underachievement is a marked risk factor for PTSD as well as other common mental disorders, alcohol misuse, aggressive behaviour and violence.15 For instance, one study found a PTSD rate of 8.4% among Iraq War veterans who had joined the armed forces with no GCSE qualifications, compared with 3.3% among those with A levels16 |
PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.