Mortality of Iranian ex-prisoners of war in Iraqi detention camps (1980-90)

Introduction: The present study aimed to determine the rate and cause of Iranian ex-POWs mortality in Iraqi detention camps during ten years (1980-90) according to the documented reports. Material and Methods: The information extracted from documented deaths certification that have been provided by Iraqi authorities and Red Cross delegation. Results: At least, a total of 564 Iranian prisoners of war died due to various reasons in Iraqi detention camps that show mortality rate of 1.4% (564/40000). The mean of the captivity-to-death interval was 440 ± 700(from 1 to 3582) days and registered prisoners had more duration of captivity than unregistered (1285 vs. 215 days, P= 0.001) significantly. The median and mean age of individual at time of death was 22 and 26.4± 13 years, respectively. The mean age of civilian was higher than others significantly (45.3 vs. 23.7, P=0.0001). The cause of death was not clear for 44.3% of individuals but among others, infectious diseases (such as; dysentery sepsis, meningitis and so...) and injuries (resulting from war injuries and/or torture by Iraqi forces) were the main causes of death with 15.4% and 15.6%, respectively. Conclusion: It is seems that Iranian ex-POWs mortality in Iraq is more than reported so, more investigation recommended to determine the exact number of Iranian prisoners that died in Iraq. Keywords: Prisoners of war, Iraq-Iran war, Mortality, Iranian.