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March 5, 2003

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Iraqis Faces Health Disaster If War Erupts"

Reuters (www.reuters.com) (03/03/03); Nakhoul, Samia

Ghulam R. Popal, World Health Organization representative in Iraq, said Monday that if a war breaks out in Iraq, a major health disaster looms large in the country.  Popal noted that 12 years of post-Gulf War sanctions have eroded the country's health system.  Furthermore, diseases that had been eradicated in the country prior to 1990--including malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, hepatitis, typhoid, cholera, and polio--are now reemerging in force due to malnutrition, contaminated water, and poor sanitation.  Relief agencies have also warned that conflict may disrupt food aid to millions who depend on government help every month.

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