INTRODUCTION:
Health systems and health workers are increasingly targeted in contemporary armed conflicts, undermining the right to health and weakening public health emergency response capacities. While international humanitarian law (IHL) provides protections for medical personnel, facilities, and civilians, enforcement remains inconsistent, and public health actors often lack frameworks for integrating legal accountability into health practice.

METHODS:
This oral presentation draws on recent multidisciplinary public health and humanitarian experiences from conflict-affected settings including Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen. It synthesizes legal principles relevant to attacks on healthcare with practical public health response tools—documentation, surveillance, advocacy, and risk communication. A framework is proposed for operationalizing IHL within public health systems and professional associations.

RESULTS:
The proposed model highlights concrete entry points for public health institutions: (1) strengthening ethical documentation standards for violations against healthcare, (2) integrating IHL awareness into emergency workforce training, (3) establishing partnerships with legal and human rights actors for secure reporting and accountability pathways, and (4) supporting survivor-centered public health responses, including mental health and rehabilitation services. Key barriers include political constraints, data insecurity, and fragmented governance.

CONCLUSIONS:
Public health professionals are not neutral bystanders to violations against health. IHL-informed public health action can strengthen accountability, protect health infrastructure, and prevent long-term population harm. Silence is complicity; systematic public health engagement is essential.