Urban violence as a factor that compromises access to health services and medicines: a scoping review

Violence has been considered one of the current public health problems. Among the various types of violence, urban violence has impacted the experience of those who live with armed conflicts constantly, including access to health services and medicines. This review aimed to analyze whether urban violence is a factor that compromises access to health services and medicines. Scoping review was the method selected. The search for the articles took place entirely online, in July 2019, updated in August 2020, in the main databases. Studies published between 2008 and 2019 in English, Portuguese, and Spanish were included. The analyzes sought to identify the year of publication, the methodology used, the continent of the study, and the dimension of access impacted by violence. 32 articles were selected from the 1,146 initially identified. The results indicate that urban violence is a factor that compromises access and that the dimensions of availability and accessibility are the most affected determinants in conflicting territories. However, there are still gaps to be explored, especially about access to medicines. Understanding the role of violence in access is essential for adopting strategies and developing public policies that guarantee access to services and medicines.