Middle East and North Africa
Rehabilitation under fire: health care in Iraq 2003-7
Assessing the quality of support given to the Iraqi health system after the 2003 invasion
Authors:
Publisher:
Medact, 2008
This Medact report describes how the war in Iraq and its aftermath continue to have a disastrous impact on the physical and mental health of the Iraqi people and sets out the measures that are needed to improve health and health services. It assesses the current state of the health system, including the impact of insecurity, and the workforce, supplies, medicines and equipment it lacks. The report also pays special attention to mental health. It finds that significant efforts have been made to improve psychiatric facilities by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation. However, obstacles remain in terms of improving education and training of health professionals, the short supply of psychiatrists and low morale.
The paper concludes that there has been insufficient Iraqi participation in the planning and implementation of health policies. Instead, the sequencing of policies has been politically motivated and has not taken different contexts into consideration. The paper recommends that Iraqis must define and lead all development processes and that all stakeholders including Iraqi leaders, civil society, diaspora groups, NGOs, international agencies and donors should be encouraged and helped to coordinate their efforts.
