“UNICEF Worried by Health Risks to Iraqi Children”

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Iraqi children are 2.5 times more at risk of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid compared to the same period last year, according to UNICEF. The recent war in Iraq has destroyed the country's government health surveillance system, so an overall picture of disease in Iraq is impossible. However, UNICEF's Geoffrey Keele noted recently that a limited survey indicated that over 70 percent of Iraqi children had reported experiencing diarrhea at least once this year. In addition, there have been 66 cases of cholera in Basra, primarily among young children, while hospitals in Baghdad are reporting cases of typhoid and dysentery.

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