Living conditions in Iraq must improve if investment in health system is to yield results
Friday, May 16, 2014 - 10:30
in Health & Medicine
Despite enormous investment in Iraq's health system in the 10 years since the US-led invasion, the health condition of Iraqis has deteriorated and will fail to improve unless more is done to improve living conditions. The authors found that housing conditions in Iraq are in a dire state for the majority of the population, with half a million people living in squatter settlements. While the government is building 25,000 housing units a year, the current need is for three million. The infrastructure for water and sanitation is too old and is a source of illness for many people, even in oil-rich Basra where the water supply is not suitable for human consumption.