The Lancet: Disease, conflict, and the challenge of elimination in the Americas
Editorial Board

“…Over the years, and within the confines of Colombia’s borders, the [country’s civil] conflict has touched on many issues that are now at the forefront of global health and development. … [T]he implications of the peace process [in Colombia’s civil war] and their potential impact on health must not be overlooked. Nobody denies the radical impact peace could have on these populations, and the now defunct [peace] agreement, negotiated with the active participation of women’s and minority groups in a process deemed by some as a model, had the consideration of health and inequalities threaded throughout its terms. … War and violence, or the absence thereof, are now integral building blocks of the development agenda since their inclusion in [Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16]. In Colombia and elsewhere, peace — just like health — is a delicate balancing act that requires constant work, but we must remain convinced that it is attainable” (November 2016).