Injuries associated with landmines and unexploded ordnances in Iran

Although in the last few years there has been increasing awareness of the problem of landmines, there are still an increasing number of people especially children, illed and injured by landmine every week in the world including Iran which is estimated to have the second rank for landmine injuries. Eighteen years after cessation of Iraq-Iran war, the provinces located near the west border of Iran still suffer from the burden of vast areas highly infested with Landmines. This study aims to gather more information on the particulars of mine associated incidents and victims. This is a retrospective study of people with documented deaths or injuries due to landmine and/or unexploded ordnances [UXO] explosions, as documented in their medical files between Jul 1988 [after ceasefire] and Feb 2003. 3713 victims from 3 main organizations in charge of providing health care services for them were included in this study. Of these, 3461 [93.2] were male, and 252 [6.8%] were female. Most of the victims were civilians and the majority of them [40.4%] had one or more amputations. Most of the patients were injured in the period between1994 and 1998. The majority of them were young, and 41.8% were children. The occurrence of death and injuries due to landmine in Iran is regrettably high; this places a significant burden on the health care system, rendering increased commitment of the government a must. Collecting data on accident particulars and landmine victims can provide meaningful information on the risk factors

Women pose innocent victims of landmines in postwar Iran

Although in the last few years there has been an increasing attention to the problem of landmines, to date, the implications of women being victims of landmine has not been duly dealt with in the world including Iran, which is estimated to be the second most landmine infested country in the world. Still, provinces by the west border of Iran, 18 years after cessation of Iraq-Iran war suffer from the burden of vast areas, highly infested with landmines. This study aimed to provide a gender focused insight into landmine accidents in. In this retrospective study, women with documented deaths or injuries due to landmine and/or unexplodeda ordnances [UXO] explosions as documented in their medical records between Jul 1988 [after ceasefire] and Feb 2003 were studied in 5 western provinces of Iran. Data was analyzed by SPSS for Windows Version II.P value under 0.05 was considered statistically significant During the 14-year study period, 252 women from 5 western provinces of Iran were reported to have injuries or death due to landmine and UXOs. All of the victims were civilians and the majority of them [47.6%] had one or more amputations. Most of them were injured in the period between 1994 and 1998. The majority of the patients were young. Women who should take care of themselves as well as their families are more prone to sufferings inflicted by landmines and UXO