RESEARCH ARTICLE Exploring the influence of

concern in terms of security, development and health. One-and-a-half billion people live in areas affected by tion of infrastructure, reducing essential medical supplies, death and displacement of health workers, breakdown of Patel et al. Conflict and Health (2015) 9:7 DOI 10.1186/s13031-015-0031-zEmergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) emerged at theLondon, London, UK Full list of author information is available at the end of the articlearmed conflict, fragility or large-scale organized violence. Evidence suggests that conflict-affected countries are sig-nificantly worse off than stable resource-poor countries in terms of health outcomes and social determinants of health [1,2]; and are the furthest away from reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) [3]. Armed health information systems, and reducing state leadership and governance capacity in all sectors [4-8]. There tends to be heavy reliance on international aid and humanitarian assistance for basic service provision as state capacities are limited in most conflict-affected countries. Global health initiatives (GHIs) such as the Globa