Community based rehabilitation: its role in regions of conflict and as a contributor to peace

Within the past few decades, health initiatives inspired by the emerging Peace through Health field have been implemented in regions of armed conflict with varying success. This paper, based on a literature review, examines Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) within conflict situations and as a Peace through Health initiative. The paper concludes that CBR embodies elements that suggest success in both goals of improving health status in conflict situations & contributing to peace. Drawing together both strategies of implementing CBR in regions of conflict and as a peace-building initiative in a formal way is essential to achieving these goals. Development of specific guidelines for CBR in regions of conflict as a Peace through Health initiative, use of the emerging CBR global database, and collaboration with the WHO Disability and Rehabilitation Team are vital to the further development of this field.