Spatial Distribution Analysis of Chemical Warfare Victims with the Health Demographic Policy Approach

Iraq used chemical weapons in the war with Iran, in military and civilian areas. Due to the long-term effects of these weapons, Considering over 35 years after this eight-year war, the number of chemical warfare victims is increasing. This research aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of chemical warfare victims by province.
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This descriptive-analytical research study was done using data obtained from the General Department of Statistics and Information Technology of the Martyr and Veteran Affairs Foundation. The data of chemical casualties includes the number; place of residence, gender, and type of injury in 2021 that were analyzed using SPSS 20 and ArcGIS software and Moran's test.

The total number of veterans in 2021 was 601330; 10.7% of them were chemical victims. Tehran (11%), Isfahan (9.67%), and Khorasan-Razavi (6.92%) provinces had the highest, and Hormozgan (0.39%), South-Khorasan (0.66%), and Sistan & Baluchistan (0.77% provinces) had the lowest. The spatial distribution of chemical warfare victims showed a cluster pattern.

The consequences of Iraq's use of chemical weapons can be seen in all of Iran’s provinces, and all provinces have chemical victims. Tehran, Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Kerman, West-Azerbaijan, and Khuzestan have more chemical victims than other provinces.