High-level groups consider possible health risks related to Depleted Uranium

Colonel D. Lam, Medical Staff Officer of IMS, Mark Laity, Acting NATO Spokesman, and Major General R. van Hoof, Surgeon General of the Belgian Armed Forces [left to right] briefing the press on COMEDS meeting

NATO's senior medical advisory body, the Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS), which consists of surgeons-general from all member nations, medical advisers from NATO's strategic commands and the medical staff officer from NATO's International Military Staff, held an extraordinary meeting on 15 January to share information on possible health risks related to Depleted Uranium.

This body considered all available medical literature and exchanged information on recent actions taken by individual nations. On the basis of this review, the COMEDS concluded that the use of Depleted Uranium was a low-level risk under specific limited circumstances and that there was no evidence of ill-health related to Depleted Uranium among SFOR and KFOR personnel who had served in the Balkans.

Nevertheless, it was important to continue gathering information and to remain active on the issue. To ensure the health of all soldiers serving in NATO-led peacekeeping operations in the Balkans, a common medical policy was adopted. This includes a commitment to examine and assess illness and mortality rates among these people, even though to date no increases have been recorded.

On 16 January, NATO's newly formed Committee on Depleted Uranium, which consists of NATO officials and representatives of past and present SFOR and KFOR contributing nations, met for the first time. Members were briefed on existing medical and scientific evidence concerning the possible health risks of Depleted Uranium. All nations attending indicated their willingness to share information on research currently underway, although several said current information has shown no signs of increased levels of ill-health related to service in the Balkans.