Global HEALTH SURVEY 

For decades, the survivor communities have suffered terrible illnesses, this new survey will provide the first ever worldwide survey into the health of the families of the Atomic Test Survivors which will be used for recognition by everyone connected to the testing program. The full report can be viewed below. If you would like a printed copy, please email media@labrats.international.

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Conclusions

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This self-reporting study was conducted within the Atomic Survivor Community and was designed to provide a snapshot of the problems that the community is experiencing. It is intended to highlight the fact that further research is needed into the community, especially the descendants. The community continues to experience physical and mental health issues with 18.7% of respondents reporting bad or very bad health, this figure rises to 28.8% in descendants.

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Anxiety and depression are experienced by a high level of descendants and veterans. Many veterans are convinced that their time at the test has contributed to their families mental and physical problems.

Teeth problems have been experienced by over 50% of the community. Stillbirths (7.3%) and miscarriages (29.2%) are at high levels within the community.

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90% of respondents experience at least one health condition, with 4.1% experiencing ten health conditions. On average, 83.2% of people believe that their conditions affect their day-to-day life.

On average, 61.6% of respondents are taking medication for their conditions. The strain on health services needs to be addressed.

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On average, 57.9% believe that their conditions are connected to the veteran’s time at the tests. Whilst this is unproven, the stress and anxiety caused by this possible connection is causing many mental health issues.

71.6% of respondents needed help with their conditions within the last month, with 78.4% of respondents receiving help from people who live with them. Whilst this should not be unexpected within a veteran community, 70% of descendants needed help in the last month, with 55.7% receiving help from people who live with them.

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36.7% of respondents are not a member of any association, which provides opportunities for the associations to recruit within the community, with 88.6% interested in receiving further information.

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LABRATS would recommend the following:

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1. Further research into the health of the descendants is desperately needed. This research needs to include detailed analysis of the mental and physical health conditions being experienced by extremely high levels of the Atomic family.

2. Analysis of the mental health of the descendants is required, the levels of anxiety and depression amongst the group is at a very high level.

3. Further research into the cost of providing the health services to the Atomic community, especially the descendants. The health conditions experienced by the community are complex in nature.

4. Further analysis of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations of descendants to analyse how they are affected by the testing program is now needed.

5. Descendants are requiring help with their day-to-day activities, further analysis of the caring requirements and the cost to the health service is required.

6. Detailed analysis as to the reasons why descendants are unable to work due to their illness and how further assistance can be given to them to enable them to return to work if possible.

7. Associations promote their work as a collective so that the help, advice, and guidance provided is targeted to those who need it most.

8. The issues of the Atomic family are promoted to the entire world, the veterans and descendants are a unique community whose requirements need to be met by governments across the world.

9. Mortality of the descendants is tracked. It is currently unknown how many descendants of the test veterans have died at an early age and of what conditions.

10. A definitive list of the Veterans is produced by the Governments from service records, these people are then contacted with details of the Associations that are providing services to the community, so that no veteran is forgotten. The number of veterans who have died and their health conditions must be collated to establish how many are still alive and what to establish their needs.

11. The world is educated on the testing program and its effects on the people and the plant.

12. The Victims assistance section of the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is utilised to provide this assistance globally by creating a United Nations fund to help everyone affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons.

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