Dear Colleagues,

The health of the most vulnerable populations in some of the most challenging and crisis-affected locations is frequently neglected. Women and children in settings facing protracted humanitarian crises, armed conflict, prolonged disruption to services, and acute or complex emergencies are some of the most vulnerable and are at greatest risk of poor health outcomes. The 2016-2030 Global Strategy on Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health reported that fragile states and humanitarian settings account for 60% of maternal deaths, 53% of child deaths, and 45% of newborn deaths globally. The evidence on adverse perinatal outcomes including stillbirth in such settings is scarce, with little data documenting the burden. There is a pressing need for research in these settings for improved data collection to inform effective responses and improve outcomes.

This Special Issue of IJERPH focuses on research related to the health of women and children that explores the use of routine health data and strengthening existing systems in fragile and conflict affected settings. We also welcome studies documenting the impact, approaches and methods to improve delivery of services, coverage and quality of care, strengthening health system resilience, and policy responses. We encourage papers documenting the experiences of those working directly on the ground in these environments including the challenges, lessons from the field, and ethical concerns faced in conducting research across the perinatal and child health period. Submissions related to the impact of COVID-19 and responses to the pandemic in these settings are also welcome. We invite authors to submit research from multiple disciplines including the social sciences using a range of study designs and methods including qualitative studies, implementation research, case studies, scoping reviews and systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Interdisciplinary approaches and innovation are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Camille Raynes-Greenow
Dr. Aliki Christou
Guest Editors

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