[Perspectives] Cancer control in war-torn Iraq

Before 1980, the Iraqi health system was described by the UN as the best health-care system in the Middle East with respect to its infrastructure, medical expertise and universal health coverage through its free of charge services. The repercussions of the war against Iran (1980 –88), followed by the Gulf wars (1990–91 and 2003–11), and the civil war initiated by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2014–17), resulted in a severe decline in the availability of medical resources, funds, and medical personnel; factors that were exacerbated by an excess of bureauc racy, corruption, and turmoil at a time when the health sector was not considered a priority by the Iraqi Government.
Source: The Lancet Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Perspectives Source Type: research