Children, War And Healthcare

Children are considered to be the future of any civilization and they are the measure by which the strength of the country is adjudged. Today, in the midst of a chaotic health management system, Iraq is losing its prospects, its youth. Reports have suggested that before 1990 Iraq had the best standards and facilities which commemorated their healthy living. But since then, the conditions have deteriorated exponentially. The children are the ones who are on the extreme of this onslaught. The child mortality and the death rate have reached a shocking number since the battles were launched in Iraq.

The study has shown that since 2003 attacks, the condition has only depreciated and with underfed children all over Iraq nothing seems to get better. The infants are the one to be taken care of evasively. The research has shown that around 7% of the kids below age of 5 are suffering the adversities of malnutrition and poverty. Not only that, acute cases of diarrhea and emaciation caused due to vitamins & proteins deficiency are reported daily. Even curable diseases are not being attended due to lack of services and medicines. Leave aside medicines, even pure drinking water is rarely made available and this has contributed hugely in the above stated outcome.

Mortality rate for the infants and the newly born kids is way too high for a country having a reputation of free health care facility in past. But the fact is that, war has made some permanent after-effects which cannot be altered so easily. UNICEF has been contributing to the cause recently. It has tried to curtail the high number of child deaths which occur during pregnancy. However, the efforts are just remote. It is understandable that by dummy governments' norms, they are not in any mood to make the reformation faster. Privation and injustice is mostly left for the people to swallow as there is not enough food. But children are highly vulnerable in these consistent periods of hardships. Thus, they are to be most affected.

It is said that under the good name of restoration the government is profiting itself. Right from the war period, US troops have denied the general public any kind of medication and had also gone to the extent of capturing the hospitals. No one was barred, not even children. Poor children suffered severe diseases. The country though is declared free today and an administration has been established but the effects have remained. There are still health care disasters which are witnessed everywhere. Even under American occupation, the country is seeing its inferior days. Malnourished and distorted pictures of children are a common sight. Rural areas have even more dampening sights as 60% of them don't have clean water to drink.

On the whole, the above stated scenario needs to be revived as soon as possible. But, with the current government and the helpless state people are in, it seems that the process will take a lot of time. More than anything else it's the future of Iraq that's in danger.