"Shafa
Hospital" is the only specialized cancer treatment center in Ahwaz
capital, which its last stop for people who have severe environmental
pollution to treat them out. Almost all children and 90 percent of
adults who need cancer treatment are referring to “Shafa” Hospital.
“Yasamin”, “Morteza”, “Maryam”, Atefeh”
Just
from the ring earrings you can understand that she is female. All her
hair has been dropped, pale and effete sitting on her bed in
hospital.“Yasamin” is only five years.
Her
mom says: “We are living in in Ahwaz. We have been informed that
“Yasamin” has been diagnosed with leukemia since a few months ago. She
should be treated by Chemotherapy. They say treatment may take many
years.I am afraid that we cannot provide the tremendous costs of
treatment.”
“Yasamin”
is just a sample of hundreds of Ahwazi Arabs that are encountering with
same story, like Hassan from Almohamerah ( Khorramshar), Atefeh from
Susa, Morteza from Aabadan and Maryam from Alkhafajiyeh ( Susangerd)
each with their mothers residing for some time in pediatric department
of Shafa hospital.
500 percent increase
Shafa"
is the display panel in growing trend of cancer, where Shafa hospital
Ex-chief warns the sudden increase in the number of cancer patients and
its association with air pollution in Al-Ahwaz.
Kaveh
Jaseb children blood and cancer specialist says: “cancer statistics
show that the new hospital referral for cancer from 1996 to 2012 has
increased so that the number of new clients from 223 in 1996 increased
to 998 in 2012, while the population of the Khuzestan (part of Al-Ahwaz)
province has a maximum of 25 percent growth. The number of days with
dust events occurred from 2001 to 2012 (Since the installation of air
pollution measurement devices) shows the Increase of 800 percent in air
pollution in Al-Ahwaz. Therefore there is direct and rational
relationship between the occurrences of dust events and increasing
number of cancer patient. Finally I must say that the number of new
cancer cases in the Ahwaz region are so big and dangerous.”
Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths
In
the report that was officially published on 17 October 2013 by
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says that the air
pollution and its involved suspended particles are in the first place of
carcinogens. (1)
At
the same time, World Health Organization (WHO), for the second time
declared that the Ahwaz is the most polluted city in the world. (2)
50 times the standard
The
occurrence of dust event comes to Ahwaz, Aabadan, Falahiya and in all
Al-Ahwaz cities since 2000-01. According to the report from Khuzestan
(part of Al-Ahwaz) Department of Environment shows that the pollution
levels exceeds up to 50 time of standard level and continues to occur
three to 10 days. Ahwazi Arab people are facing about half of the year
with dust occurrence and it’s registered an average twice in each 15
days. In new estimates released, WHO reports that in 2012 around 7
million people died - one in eight of total global deaths – as a result
of air pollution exposure. (3)
"Cancer Tsunami" is on its way to Al-Ahwaz
Air
pollution in Al-Ahwaz every time comes to the top story of the media,
once by raided suspend particles in air, or leading the list of most
polluted cities in the world and more recently because of shortness of
breath of 20 thousand of Ahwazi Arab people, But after a while
everything will be forgotten.
Iranian
authorities by stopping the solutions of air pollution and in the
absence of scientific studies on the side effects of pollution on Ahwazi
Arab people, do we wait up to a few more years for "cancer tsunami”?
(1) http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/pr221_E.pdf
Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights
21 November 2014
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