Health Services
Depleted Uranium Radioactive Contamination In Iraq: An Overview
U.S. Charged With War Crimes
The Devastating Effects of Iraq Sanctions - Denis Halliday & Phillis Bennis 2/19/99
Published on Dec 8, 2012
Iraq: 1989-1999, a decade of sanctions ICRC
After two international wars (the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88 and the Gulf war of 1991) and nine years of UN-imposed trade sanctions, the Iraqi economy lies in tatters. The " oil-for-food " programme, introduced by UN Resolution 986 in 1995, has not halted the collapse of the health system and the deterioration of water supplies, which together pose one of the gravest threats to the health and well-being of the civilian population. The situation is now exacerbated by water shortages owing to the worst drought in decades.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and other humanitarian organizations can only hope to mitigate some of the worst effects of the sanctions. In mid-1999 the International Committee of the Red Cross extended its budget for the year by 60% in order to fund new programmes in the field of health and water and sanitation, which are to continue in the year 2000 -- in full awareness of the fact that humanitarian aid can not nearly cover the overwhelming needs of 22 million people.
Sanction on Iraq
Mortality before and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: cluster sample survey
Findings The risk of death was estimated to be 2·5-fold (95% CI 1·6–4·2) higher after the invasion when compared with the preinvasion period. Two-thirds of all violent deaths were reported in one cluster in the city of Falluja. If we exclude the Falluja data, the risk of death is 1·5-fold (1·1–2·3) higher after the invasion. We estimate that 98 000 more deaths than expected (8000–194 000) happened after the invasion outside of Falluja and far more if the outlier Falluja cluster is included. The major causes of death before the invasion were myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, and other chronic disorders whereas after the invasion violence was the primary cause of death. Violent deaths were widespread, reported in 15 of 33 clusters, and were mainly attributed to coalition forces. Most individuals reportedly killed by coalition forces were women and children. The risk of death from violence in the period after the invasion was 58 times higher (95% CI 8·1–419) than in the period before the war.
Health Consequences of the Iraq War
World Health Organization Covers Up Iraq War Crimes
Iraqi Physician Brain Drain in Prolonged Conflict 88-98
Brain Drain can also be defined as an emigration of trained and talented individuals from other nations or jurisdictions, due to conflict, lack of opportunity or health hazards where they are currently working and living. Few countries in the world are unaffected by brain drain of healthcare staff as destination or source countries. Destination countries receive net flows of professionals while source countries lose their professionals, and as we will see in acute Brain Drain in Iraq, at a precipitous cost to the Public Health of Iraqis.