Health Professional Training for War Settings

Ngugi Mwaura J.

School of Natural and Applied Sciences Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT

Armed conflicts create complex health challenges that strain local health systems and require specialized competencies for health professionals operating in these environments. Effective humanitarian response depends on training healthcare providers in clinical, public health, ethical, and operational skills tailored to conflict settings. Core competencies include trauma care, acute resuscitation, mental health and psychological first aid, infection prevention, hazardous materials management, triage, and ethical decision-making guided by humanitarian principles. Training delivery employs simulation-based exercises, field rotations, interprofessional education, and low-resource adaptations to prepare health workers for austere, high-risk conditions. Additional considerations include safety, legal protections, occupational health, cultural competence, communication, and stakeholder engagement. Integrating such training into existing medical curricula and evaluating outcomes through structured frameworks is essential for improving preparedness and response. Addressing gaps in training implementation, resource mobilization, and context-specific adaptation remains a priority to ensure effective and safe health service delivery in war-affected regions.

Keywords: Health professional training, armed conflict, humanitarian response, trauma care, simulation-based education.

 

CITE AS: Ngugi Mwaura J. (2026). Health Professional Training for War Settings. IDOSR JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES 11(1):26-34. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSRJAS/2026/1112634