WHO’s Iraq Birth Defect Study Omits Causation

Discussion and preparation for the study that started in mid-2011 was conducted in the wake of reports and individual studies conducted in Iraq which found a significant increase in the prevalence of congenital birth defects, says WHO. Previous studies also pointed at some kind of correlation between metal pollutants, possibly DU used in 2003 and 2004 during the U.S. military attacks in Fallujah, with congenital birth defects in the region. However, the causes will not be part of the MOH and WHO study. And this is what has invited criticism from some health experts and scientists. Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, an environmental toxicologist based in Michigan, who along with her team had published papers on congenital birth defects in Iraq, said that for the WHO to not consider uranium and metal pollutants as a causal element of birth defects is “worrying”. “I think this is going to be one of the big weaknesses of the report given that previous studies have shown links between pollutants and birth defects,” she said. “It would have been very logical for them to have carried out the analysis by collecting human samples and environmental samples and analysing if they have metals or pollutants.” Previous studies Large quantities of DU weaponry were used in Iraq during the war by the US and UK armed forces, according to a report released earlier this year by a Dutch NGO. Another report titled “Metal Contamination and the Epidemic of Congenital Birth Defects in Iraqi Cities...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Armed Conflicts Asia-Pacific Featured Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies Peace Population TerraViva United Nations Water & Sanitation Women's Health Afghanistan birth defects Britain depleted uranium (DU) Source Type: news