Gathering Evidence-Based Data on Violence Against Health Care

When the worst calamities or extreme events occur, health-care personnel are often the first point of contact for victims and their relatives. But shockingly, these same personnel are frequently the victims of violence when caring for those in need. Contrary to a widely-held belief, violence against health-care personnel occurs throughout the world, not just in armed conflict. Failure to respect those trying to help us when we need it most has become the norm. This report provides an overview of the issue. It consolidates data from scientific publications on violence against health-care personnel around the globe; and data collected by the ICRC for its protection activities and health programmes. The report showcases different methods for data collection on violence against health-care to promote the analysis of patterns of abuse, understand the circumstances, causes and consequences and devise the appropriate responses.