London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

An emergency meeting at the House of Commons attended by top health professionals and academics will draw attention to the enormous health costs likely to be borne by making war on Iraq.

Date Tuesday 14 January
Time: 10.00 am
Place Room W1, Westminster Hall

Hosted by Tam Dalyell, MP, the meeting will draw attention to the three important reports published in the last month in the humanitarian impacts of international violence and conflict. Based on these reports, over FOUR HUNDRED staff and students of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from 120 countries, have signed an Open Letter to Tony Blair opposing the use of military intervention in Iraq. Hundreds of members of Medact are the process of signing the letter.

The World Health Organisation's Global Report on Violence is a detailed assessment compiled over three years by international health scientists.

Collateral Damage: the health and environmental costs of war on Iraq is an evidence-based report by Medact, a UK charity of doctors, nurses and other health professionals.

The latest unpublished and just leaked report by the United Nations, Likely Humanitarian Scenarios, predicts substantial and wide-reaching humanitarian impacts - 'as many as 500,000 people could require treatment to a greater or lesser degree as a result of direct or indirect injuries'. This estimate is based on WHO estimates of 100,000 direct and 400,000 indirect casualties.

The health professionals signing this important open letter express the view that a war would have disastrous short, medium-and long-term social and public health consequences - not just for Iraq, but internationally.

Copies of the letter and the reports mentioned above will be available at the meeting.

More information from
Lindsay Wright (LSHTM) 07941 294885 or
Carolyn Stephens (LSHTM) tel 020 7927 2308.
Gill Reeve (Medact) tel 020 7272 2020 (w) 020 7485 3067 (h)