War can indeed bring people together. People stand up together to combat the life-threatening challenges posed by war. During such volatile times, every sector of the economy steps forward to do what it can. In addition, sectors such as health care are most needed to play a role during wartime. When times are this dangerous, people look to health technologies to assist them in any way they can. So, in this article, we will discuss the role that health technology has to and can play during wartime, as well as how important it is during wartime

Healthcare In War:

Healthcare is extremely important during wartime, but it can also lead to advancement in this field. For example, the most profound and long-lasting impact on this sector occurred during the greatest war of all time, “World War II.” Technologies developed to win the war during World War II found new applications as commercial products became mainstays of the American home in the decades following the war’s end.

This war brought about significant changes in the fields of surgery and medicine, such as advancements in blood transfusion, skin grafts, trauma treatments, and so on, which were, can, and still are used to treat millions of soldiers during wartime. In June 2013, Dr Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, told the Defense Health Agency, “If war is the dark side of humanity, then military medicine is the light.” 

In addition to World War II, other conflicts such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan resulted in numerous medical advances such as battlefield dressing, pain management, prosthetics, treating and identifying traumatic brain injury, vaccine development, and much more.

As a result, wartime advancements in healthcare have been so significant that they are still being used effectively today.

Now, let’s move on the other side, that is how healthcare and medical technology helped the military and people during war times. Let’s start by looking at an example. Wearable technology has made it possible to monitor a soldier’s vitals, which has been critical when soldiers are deep behind enemy lines and without access to immediate medical care. For example, The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) is one of the most well-known examples of wearable tech in use by the military. The suit gives soldiers superhuman strength and can even monitor their vital signs. The TALOS suit was a collaboration between several university medical centers, DARPA, and the US Army commands to create a suit that would be able to monitor vitals with wearable health technology like an EKG and other sensors. The rise of wearable technology in recent years has been driven largely by consumer demand for data about their health and well-being. However, the military is interested in tapping into these new technologies as well.

There have been so many devices used by military doctors or personnel that were adapted by the medical world to treat everyone. The military is a breeding ground for medical innovation. From the invention of the tourniquet in ancient Rome to modern battlefields where doctors are often first on the scene when tragedy strikes, administering fast and effective aid on the front line is a matter of life and death. Now, researchers are looking to push the envelope even further by harnessing technology to help save soldiers’ lives. For example, the US Army has its bleeding control kits which have been deployed alongside standard medical supplies since 2016. The kits contain tourniquets, pressure dressings and gauze packed into vacuum-sealed pouches that can be easily carried or mounted on walls or vehicles. Military medical technology is moving forward with a focus on the fast, effective first aid at the point of injury. The goal is to keep soldiers alive for long enough for them to receive specialist treatment.

Another example is a simple and portable device that can be used to perform emergency tracheostomies (the puncturing of a patient’s windpipe to help them breathe). The device has been tested in real-life combat situations, with encouraging results. It could be used in situations where it would previously have been impossible for medics to gain access to the casualty, or where there was not enough time for a traditional tracheotomy. Administering fast and effective first aid on the front line is a matter of life and death and having access to cutting-edge combat-compatible medical technology can make all the difference. 

On another side of all this which is the most important is Healthcare and Medicine helping the refugees and migrants and fulfilling their needs to the best. The health of refugees and migrants is a crucial aspect of public health, with important implications for the well-being of these individuals, their families, and the communities to which they move. Although there are many challenges in delivering healthcare to this group, the benefits of doing so are numerous. There is a common misconception around the world that migrants and refugees are healthy and resilient, but research shows that this is not always the case. Migrant groups often suffer from poorer physical and mental health conditions than people born in their host country. In addition, they have complex needs beyond those of native populations as they may be exposed to unique risks during their migration experience. According to WHO, Today there are some 1 billion migrants globally, about 1 in 7 of the global population. These include 281 million international migrants and 82.4 million forcibly displaced (48 million internally displaced, 26.4 million refugees, 4.1 million asylum seekers). UNHCR estimates there are many millions of refugees and migrants globally. We all are aware that refugees and migrants should be in good health to protect both themselves and the host population. They have the basic human right to effective healthcare   

and countries should provide refugee and migrant sensitive health care services. So, WHO has come up with a Global Action Plan (GAP)  to manage global migration positively, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and two global compacts, the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

The WHO Global action plan has six key points:

• The program strives to provide refugees with a mix of short-term and long-term public health services.
•  To advocate for the mainstreaming of refugee health concerns in global, regional and country agendas.
• To promote the health and well-being of refugee women, children and adolescents.
•  To focus on gender equality and the empowerment of refugee women and girls.
•  To develop partnerships between agencies working on refugee health issues. Hence, to enhance the capacity of agencies to address the social determinants of health.
• To strengthen health monitoring and health information systems, and support measures to improve evidence-based health communication and to counter misconceptions about migrant and refugee health.

The WHO Health and Migration Programme’s goal is to serve as a global leader in the promotion of the health rights of refugees and migrants by implementing the Global Action Plan for Health and Migration.

Conclusion:

So, in this article, we covered everything related to healthcare, medicine, and wartime. Since time immemorial, healthcare and medical advancements have aided not only soldiers but also refugees and migrants during times of war. However, wartime and military service have also influenced the future of medicine and healthcare. They have resulted in advancements in health technology that will benefit everyone in the future, whether during wartime or otherwise. As a result, health technology’s role during times of war, or its advancements as a result of war and military, has always been and will continue to be important.

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