Iraqis' Mental Health Suffering, Say Doctors
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SAN FRANCISCO, May 12 (OneWorld) - More than 1,000 people turned out this week for one the largest conferences to date on the health effects of the Iraq war.
Leading researchers flew in from around the United States to speak at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). "We have been silent too long," former UCSF chancellor Haile Debas told the gathering. "We have a moral obligation to speak out and try to head off devastating consequences." Speakers at the day-long forum called it a historic event -- the first time since the Iraq war began four years ago that medical professionals had come together at such a well-known institution to publicly clarify the health effects of the war on the local population. "In subjects that are hot, it's important to get it right and tell people what you know and what you don't know," said Dr. Richard Garfield, a professor of nursing at Columbia University and co-author of a report published last year in the British medical journal, The Lancet. Garfield's team went door-to-door surveying communities in every province of Iraq and estimated that, as of last October, 655,000 Iraqi civilians had died as a result of the Iraq war. The team found the two main causes of death were sectarian conflict and being killed by U.S.-led occupying forces. "There is more violence and the increase in violence is due to sectarianism and [the breakdown] of authority," he added. "You have both an internal conflict and a conflict between Iraqis and foreigners. It's a complicated situation." But the health impacts go beyond the risk of death from daily violence and include long-term psychological effects on the general population, the researchers said Wednesday.
"They're having extreme fear reactions, they're anxious, they have bed wetting, they're afraid to go out, they're crying easily, they're having difficulty concentrating, they're having flashbacks of traumatic scenes," said Jess Ghannam, a professor of psychiatry at UCSF. "Those are all the classic signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)." Providing any kind of treatment will be difficult, Ghannam added. In March, the head of the Iraqi Society of Psychiatrists told CNN 50 percent of the country's psychiatrists have fled the country or been killed since the war began. "The most logical thing to do would be to have school intervention programs, but schools aren't functioning," UCSF's Ghannam said. "Even more disturbingly, the teachers have PTSD too. So who's going to do this? You have an entire population that's basically struggling with deep fear, hopelessness, and helplessness about their situation right now." "The struggles of daily life are incredibly difficult," added Dr. Dalia Wafsy, an Iraqi-American physician. Wafsy moved to the Southern Iraqi City of Basra last year and spent three months there with her family. "Basically you take your life in your hands every time you leave your house," she told OneWorld, "but even if you stay home you aren't safe from the daily house raids being conducted by American forces and the Iraqi police." The keynote speaker at the event was syndicated columnist Robert Sheer. He told the gathering he hopes more doctors will speak out about what they see in Iraq. "The fact is that all of this activity is accompanied by a very heavy medical presence," he said. "Medical people know full well the kinds of injuries that are being sustained and the implications for the future and we're not hearing much of that." Sheer said he hopes the UCSF event will inspire more medical professionals to come forward, though no follow-up events have been planned. ....................................................................................
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"Youth for Human Rights"Author:
Kathy Smith
Time: 05/14/2007 10:45
Comment: Dear Friends,
When children do not know their rights they are vulnerable. Millions of children have become victims of poverty, HIV/AIDS and human trafficking. In all parts of the inhabited world, children are at risk. Knowledge of their fundamental freedoms can empower youth not only to defend themselves, but also help others and, in so doing, build a better world with human rights. The purpose of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is simply to teach youth about human rights – specifically, the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights – and inspire them to become life-long advocates for tolerance and peace. Through YHRI's World Tours of 2004, 2005 and 2006, I traveled to 50 countries, presenting our human rights education programs to people of every social rank and situation, from heads of state to parent-teacher groups to children in foster homes and orphanages. We met with United Nations officials from the US, Austria, Korea and the Philippines. As well, we were welcomed by mayors, community and religious leaders and, most importantly, by youth in the schools, colleges and universities of the world. To date, these tours have touched the lives of millions, both through direct contact and media coverage of our activities here and abroad. With 71 chapters and groups around the world, and ongoing YHRI education projects in lands as diverse as Mexico, Taiwan, Serbia, Fiji, Canada, Austria, South Africa and Ghana, there are yet more strategically important countries for us to reach with our message. Indonesia is the overseas starting point for this year's tour. From there, we will travel to South Africa, Congo, Kenya and Morocco; then on to Germany, Italy, Spain and England; winding down in Puerto Rico and back in the USA. In all, we will set foot in at least 10 countries, at each stop working with our local group hosts to hold events and activities that will involve entire communities. Additionally, our activities will, as always, be captured on video and in photographs. Such a tour requires a good deal of collaboration and participation, every bit of it adding to the strength and diversity of this powerful outreach action of raising individual and community consciousness of human rights concerns that affect every one of us, no matter where we live. Don't hesitate to contact me directly if you, too, would like to be a part of this historic event. Sincerely, Mary Shuttleworth President Youth for Human Rights International™ 1954 Hillhurst Ave. #416, Los Angeles CA 90027, USA Tel. (323) 663-5799 FAX (323) 663-2013 e-mail: info@YouthForHumanRights.org www.YouthForHumanRights.org |
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