Civil-Military Medicine: On Dangerous Ground

Abstract

The interaction between armed forces and civilian organizations providing medical and health aid in insecure environments is increasing. Recent examples include a US-led anti-insurgent Joint Task Force providing disaster relief after mudslides in the Philippines, the international response to the Asian tsunami and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Practitioners and scholars alike have noted that the rising incidence of civil-military medical assistance increases the need for better operational coordination and cooperation among the actors in the medical and health sector of humanitarian assistance.