Sisaye, Sarah
(2013)
Violent Civil Conflict and Its Impacts on Health Outcomes: A Closer Look at Kenya's 2007-2008 Post-Election Violence.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
The two aims of this thesis are as follows: first, to gain an understanding of the health-conflict literature and to create an analytical framework and second, to apply this framework to Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence. A comprehensive search of PubMed and the grey literature was conducted to inform both of these aims. The devastating health outcomes of violent civil conflict tend to be concentrated in vulnerable populations: children, adolescents and women. The health outcomes of violent civil conflict can be divided into four categories: economic and infrastructural, environmental, policy and social. Examples of these health outcomes include a cholera outbreak, low birthweight, interruptions in ART adherence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The most common population level measures of these impacts are Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE), Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs) and the Dirty War Index (DWI). Retrospective surveys, census data, eyewitness accounts and media reporting are the sources of data for these tools and despite having specific limitations that must be considered before use, are the best available measures. In addition to this, there is a stark absence of new data in the field, denying it the proper attention by the international community. The 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya and its impact on health outcomes provides a real world example of public health relevance. Moving forward, conflict epidemiologists will play a vital role in expanding available research in this field, helping to bring this field into the international community’s consciousness and ensure that necessary emergency preparedness plans are in place to mitigate any negative health outcomes among vulnerable populations.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
27 June 2013 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
12 April 2013 |
| Approval Date: |
27 June 2013 |
| Submission Date: |
3 April 2013 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
64 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Conflict, health outcomes, Kenya, Post-Election Violence 2007-2008, population level measures |
| Date Deposited: |
27 Jun 2013 19:04 |
| Last Modified: |
19 Jul 2024 18:40 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18136 |
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