24 January 2001
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Health Concerns
Related
to the Balkan Deployments
by
the North Atlantic Military Committee
BACKGROUND
- Following increased public debate on possible health hazards stemming
from Depleted Uranium (DU), the Committee of the Chiefs of the Military
Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) decided to meet to assess the situation
and develop a strategy for future handling.
- The meeting was held on Monday, 15 January and resulted in a report
on health concerns related to the Balkan Deployments (enclosure).
AIM
- To provide MC advice on the issue.
COMEDS REPORT
- COMEDS reports its conclusions that:
- COMEDS recognizes the imperative to listen to the health concerns
of the military personnel.
- These health concerns and problems are best served by scientific,
peer-reviewed analysis including independent studies.
- Based on such peer-reviewed medical scientific data and on the
available national information, a link between DU and the reported
cancers cannot be established.
- Although presently there is no indication of any atypical illness
linked to the Balkan, the timely investigation of all reports of an
increased incidence of symptoms or pathologies is necessary. Again
this ought to be performed in an open, scientific, and peer-reviewed
manner.
- It is in the interest of the veterans, the military and medical
communities and the local populations, that health risks related to
the operational environment be approached by Medical Services from
a multinational perspective in a transparent and in an independent
manner.
- COMEDS tasked the Working Group for Military Preventive Medicine to
develop a coherent strategy, process and standardization procedures
that will enable known and future health hazards to be identified and
addressed, and to make proposals by May 01.
MC CONSIDERATION
- The MC considers the report to be a valid contribution to establish
facts on the health risks related to DU. Especially the report emphasises
that:
- at present, based on peer-reviewed medical scientific data and
on the available national information, a link between DU and the reported
cancers cannot be established;
- presently, there is no indication of any atypical illness linked
to the Balkans; and
- those soldiers with health complaints must be given the best appropriate
medical care. Further, ongoing investigations into a possible common
causative factors must be continued and improved mechanisms for identifying
and tracking such deployment-related symptoms and complaints need
to be developed;
- health risks related to the operational environment be followed
on by Medical Services from a multinational perspective in a transparent
and in an independent manner.
CONCLUSION
- The MC forwards this report to the NAC for its information and appropriate
action.
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