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RANDOM HARVEST?

Students at the Huron Institute of International Health are discussing the statement that "War is not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things."

The notion that the civilian population bears the brunt of military operations is challenged by Hank who argues that those problems are unlikely to occur with the development of better weapons. He points out that during the Gulf War, the use of high-precision weapons with strategic targeting permitted the Allied Forces to produce maximal effect with limited damage to the civilian population.

This provokes a furious reaction from the other students and Professor Chernsky is forced to intervene. He suggests mildly that they should study the matter more carefully cautioning them to argue from a base of knowledge, rather than ignorance.

At the next session, Fatima brings along a map¹ showing the principal targets in Iraq as well as data (shown below) from a recent study reported by an International Team in the New England Journal of Medicine (vol 327: 931-6, 1992) showing geographical variations in the mortality of infants and children, before and after the war.

¹ The map was taken from Hiro (1992) Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War. Harper Collins, London.

Region	Age Group	Mortality Rate (Reference)	Mortality Rate (Jan-Aug 91)	Relative Mortality
Baghdad	<1 mo	17.2	26.9	1.6
	1-<12 mo	14.8	28.1	1.9
	12-<60 mo	0.8	2.0	2.5
Central	<1 mo	13.8	12.1	0.9
	1-<12 mo	12.8	37.9	3.0
	12-<60 mo	1.8	5.1	2.8
South	<1 mo	19.8	37.8	1.9
	1-<12 mo	14.7	72.4	4.9
	12-<60 mo	2.6	13.3	5.1
North	<1 mo	18.3	51.1	2.8
	1-<12 mo	17.8	125.7	7.1
	12-<60 mo	4.9	16.9	3.4
Neutral	<1 mo	17.2	36.4	2.1
	1-<12 mo	52.9	307.7	5.8
	12-<60 mo	10.8	32.1	3.0

Data from a recent study reported by an International Team in the New England Journal of Medicine (vol 327: 931-6, 1992) showing geographical variations in the mortality of infants and children, before and after the war.

Comments:

This problem was a corollary to the one on serotonin receptors. This problem focused not on individual but on institutional violence. The data provided a good focus for the brainstorming session as well as the subsequent discussions.