Health Impact of Armed Conflict - Evidence from Ukraine

Abstract Armed conflicts impose substantial costs on the civilian population. We empirically measure the impact of the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2016 by exploring the channels through which people’s physical health is affected when conflict breaks out. Specifically, this research focuses on the effects of the conflict. Using the Ukrainian Household Budget Survey (UHBS) data set from 2003 to 2016, we employed a modified difference-in-difference estimation technique and find evidence that armed conflict has two contrasting effects on health. First, we argue that armed conflict has a negative impact on people’s physical health. In particular, the self-reported health status of individuals shows significant deterioration due to violent conflict. The effect is stronger for the population closer to the conflict. On the other hand, we find that access to healthcare services improves based on proximity to the conflict zone. That is, the closer an individual is to armed conflict, the more access to healthcare services they have. We did not find an effect of the conflict on chronic disease.