Epidemiology of Violence in Colombia

Abstract

Armed conflict is a major cause of injury and death worldwide, posing a significant public health problem. In addition to mortality directly resulting from violence, armed conflicts indirectly cause morbidity and mortality through destruction of health infrastructure and diversion of resources, forced displacement, environmental damage to water/sanitation access, and erosion of social and economic security. Colombia’s internal armed conflict began in the 1940s and was uniquely long-lasting, fractious, and geographically dynamic. By leveraging the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of Colombia’s armed conflict, this study examines the spatial trends in violence (Aim 1) and estimates the impact of armed conflict on infant and child survival (Aim 2).