In December, Joby Warrick of the Washington Post published a story on the use of Viagra to win over the support of Afghan tribal leaders and warlords. Paying for support is nothing new. The strategy has been employed countless times and produced well publicized successes. The largest example recently is the Sons of Iraq, wherein 90,000 Iraqi paramilitaries (including insurgents) were placed on the US payroll. These forces were widely credited for stabilizing many regions, including Al Anbar.
What is significant about the use of Viagra is the direct employment of western medical technology to win support at the tactical level. Now, as Warrick points out, buying support with Viagra is by no means common, likely because the warlord must be old enough to need the drug but healthy enough to not die from taking it. However, it would be interesting to see how drugs or medical procedures are being used in conflicts to gain favor with political elites.
Overall, the article reiterates a common theme on War & Health: that health care and public health can be an effective tool in armed conflict, at the tactical, operational, and/or strategic levels.
Christopher R. Albon is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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