Deformities, deadly diseases and epidemics. How has the health situation in post-invasion Iraq regressed?

The US invasion of Iraq 20 years ago led to the deterioration of health conditions and the spread of many diseases and epidemics that Iraqis still suffer from, especially with regard to cancerous tumors and fetal malformations.

The deterioration of health since the 2003 invasion has caused numerous outbreaks such as haemorrhagic fevers, tuberculosis, heart diseases, cancer and other deadly diseases that have exacerbated the suffering of the Iraqi people.

The city of Fallujah suffers from cancerous diseases and birth defects that you did not know before the American invasion (Al-Jazeera)

Rampant diseases

Public health specialist Dr. Ziad Hazem confirmed the existence of many communicable and non-communicable diseases that have spread throughout the country since the US invasion, pointing to a noticeable increase in cancer diseases associated with environmental pollutants and carcinogenic foods, amid the absence of health control over the entry of imported products, according to him.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Hazem indicates this through the increase in the number of doctors, hospitals and devices related to cancer and oncology in general, which contributed significantly to early diagnosis and the discovery of a significant rise in the number of infections.

With regard to fetal malformations, Iraq witnessed a significant increase in their percentage after 2003, as Hazem believes that their causes are likely related to the US invasion and the accompanying use of some prohibited weapons, especially in Fallujah (west of the country), Basra and other southern cities.

The public health specialist expresses his deep regret for the re-emergence of some serious diseases, after Iraq succeeded in eliminating them before the invasion, most notably malaria, cholera and polio, as this is due to the destruction of the health sector after the invasion, adding that the Iraqi health sector is witnessing a significant improvement in the recent period.

Air pollution in Iraq due to military operations has also caused an increase in respiratory diseases, as well as the spread of heart diseases associated with crises, as atherosclerosis, angina and myocardial infarction have increased, which are spreading at younger ages than usual, due to psychological factors associated with the abundance of wars and conflicts, as well as eating unhealthy foods rich in fat, as Hazem explains.

Deadly diseases since the 2003 U.S. invasion have exacerbated the suffering of the Iraqi people (AP)

Causes and factors

Many factors and reasons have contributed to the spread of foreign diseases in Iraq, most notably the wide opening of borders, the lack of control over the entry and exit of travelers and goods, in addition to the destruction of the health sector, according to journalist Salam Khaled.

Khaled confirms – in his interview with Al Jazeera Net – that pollution rates increased after the invasion as a result of the weapons used and what happened after them in the first and second battles of Fallujah in 2004, and then in the battles that took place in 2014, in addition to the remnants of war from radioactive mines and others.

As for the causes of congenital malformations of fetuses, Khalid, who hails from Fallujah, revealed that the information indicates many reasons, the most important of which is the use of forbidden white phosphorus weapons by the United States in the second battle of Fallujah, which contributed significantly to the spread of diseases and their transmission from parents to children, so cases of fetal malformation appeared that were unknown before the war.

Microcephaly , congenital cataract , short neck +multiple skeletal anomalies
Born in our hospital pic.twitter.com/JJL56HZdnn

— Fallujah B. Defects (@FDefects) February 27, 2023

For his part, environmental expert Marwan Al-Saidi explained that many oil companies deployed in Basra and the rest of the oil-producing provinces have not adhered to environmental standards, as most of their attention is focused on achieving profits without taking into account the health status of humans, the environment or agriculture, warning of the danger of gases emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels, as well as the dangers of oil residues that companies dump without treatment.

There are also many dangerous, toxic and heavy substances such as lead and copper, whose quantities of elements in the atmosphere have increased to their normal limit and caused serious diseases, especially bullets spread through car exhaust and oil operations, according to Saidi.

The environmental expert stressed the need for state institutions, civil society organizations and other institutions to cooperate to launch environmental and health awareness programs and launch afforestation campaigns to reduce the impact of pollutants and toxic gases that directly affect humans.

Mardin Mahsoum believes that the invasion of Iraq has brought about an important change in Iraq's political, economic and social history (Al Jazeera)

Suffering and loss

The deterioration of health has caused a huge loss of life, as well as the high costs of treatment and other repercussions related to the economy, reducing productivity and obstructing development projects, as economics professor Mardin Mahsoum Faraj believes that what happened in the spring of 2003 brought about an important change in Iraqi political, economic and social history.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, she points out that what resulted from this extends to the losses and costs incurred by Iraq as a result of US military operations and the spread of diseases and epidemics, and therefore, it can be described as one of the worst health conditions in Iraq as one of the worst in the region, as she put it.

This is evidenced by the average per capita share of carbon dioxide, which is related to the population and the proportion of gas emissions in the air, noting that the percentage exceeded 4.2 tons per capita after 2020, while it did not exceed 3 tons in 2003.

During the past two decades, there have been many government measures and budgets allocated to improve the health situation, but on the other hand, there are many factors that helped to thwart or discourage the health reality, according to public health specialist Ali Al-Taher.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Taher continues that the heavy legacy of the health reality of the years of the international embargo of Iraq between 1991 and 2003 caused an increase in the emergence of communicable diseases and infectious diseases, which increased after the wars that rolled on the country after the invasion, expressing optimism that the health situation in the country will improve in the coming days.

Al-Taher also pointed to some problems that require rapid government treatment, such as the poor distribution of medical and health personnel, the lack of specialized centers for cancer and heart diseases that are not available in all provinces, as well as the need to train local cadres and provide capabilities for Iraqi doctors, he said.

It is worth noting that the health situation in Iraq has improved in the last two years compared to previous years, as many new hospitals have opened in the country, as well as the entry into force of the health insurance law enacted by parliament in 2021.