Healthcare

HEALTHCARE

What is Healthcare?

Efficient health care is essential for both civilians and combatants in conflict situations. In conflicts, however, healthcare and health-care personnel are exposed to many dangers and thus require special protection and respect. 

Violence against healthcare not only includes physical violence/attacks, but also threats of violence, obstruction, disruption of health services, take-over or misuse, and coercing health care personnel to act contrary to medical ethics.

Main Rules

1. Do not attack, harm or kill the wounded and sick, whether civilian or military, friend or enemy, under all circumstances.

2. Collect and care for the wounded and sick without delay or discrimination.

3. Do not attack, threaten or abduct healthcare personnel or compel them to perform acts contrary to their medical ethics.

4. Do not attack healthcare facilities.

5. Respect and protect medical transports.

6. Do not use healthcare facilities for any military purpose, otherwise they may lose their protection from attack.

7. Do not use medical transports for any military purpose, otherwise they may lose their protection from attack.

8. In case of loss of protection, advanced warning and time for evacuation should be given before attacking.

9. Do not use the protective emblems for purposes not related to the provision of healthcare.

10. Take measures to ensure access for the affected population to essential healthcare services.

HEALTHCARE

What is Healthcare?

Efficient health care is essential for both civilians and combatants in conflict situations. In conflicts, however, healthcare and health-care personnel are exposed to many dangers and thus require special protection and respect. Violence against healthcare not only includes physical violence/attacks, but also threats of violence, obstruction, disruption of health services, take-over or misuse, and coercing health care personnel to act contrary to medical ethics.

Main Rules

  1. Do not attack, harm or kill the wounded and sick, whether civilian or military, friend or enemy, under all circumstances.
  2. Collect and care for the wounded and sick without delay or discrimination.
  3. Do not attack, threaten or abduct healthcare personnel or compel them to perform acts contrary to their medical ethics.
  4. Do not attack healthcare facilities.
  5. Respect and protect medical transports.
  6. Do not use healthcare facilities for any military purpose, otherwise they may lose their protection from attack.
  7. Do not use medical transports for any military purpose, otherwise they may lose their protection from attack.
  8. In case of loss of protection, advanced warning and time for evacuation should be given before attacking.
  9. Do not use the protective emblems for purposes not related to the provision of healthcare.
  10. Take measures to ensure access for the affected population to essential healthcare services.

Learn with Principles of Humanity

Do you know how to protect civilians during conflict?

Related documentation

Health Care Fact Sheet - ICRC

06/07/2022

International legal framework for the protection of health care in times of armed conflict

06/07/2022

Domestic normative frameworks for the protection of health care

06/07/2022

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