Exploring Associations Between WaSH-Related Health Outcomes and Terrorist Activities in the Sahel: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES

The G5 Sahel countries have faced political instability and terrorist activities for over a decade. With the regional lack of water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH), there is an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. This scoping review aims to document WaSH-related health outcomes associated with terrorist activities, identify gaps in the humanitarian and political response and propose actionable recommendations to address them.

METHODS

We followed the PRISMA standards, including literature from PubMed and Web of Science. Country-specific timeframes for terrorist activities were used.

RESULTS

Data was extracted from 54 out of 2,320 publications on 22 December 2023. While malnutrition and diarrheal diseases were frequently reported as health outcomes - consistent with inadequate WaSH services - the lack of studies directly linking these outcomes to terrorist activities is notable. Only one article explicitly established a direct link between health outcomes and terrorist activities.

CONCLUSION

The scarcity of studies directly linking terrorist activities to health outcomes reveals a significant research gap and highlight the need for more focused investigations into the health impacts of political violence in the Sahel region.