The article asks whether climate change, artificial intelligence, pandemics or non-communicable diseases will be the most pressing health challenges of 2026. These issues will continue to shape health and medicine. However, in much of the world, conflict is a fundamental determinant of people's health and the functioning of health systems. The burden of armed conflict and violence around the world is unusually high. Its effects extend far beyond combat. Damage in war zones and in civilian environments is becoming more and more normalized.