Calls for aid for Gulf War veterans
Updated on 17 November 2008
There have been fresh calls for Government help for sufferers from Gulf War illnesses, after a high-level US report blamed their ill-health on exposure to neurotoxins.
The report handed over to US Secretary for Veterans Affairs James Peake in Washington stated that at least a quarter of the 700,000 Americans who served in the 1991 war have suffered from a range of medical conditions.
And the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses found the illnesses are linked to exposure to neurotoxins in pesticides and nerve agent protection pills containing pyridostigymine bromide (PB) during the conflict.
Many of the 55,000 British troops who served in the Gulf have reported symptoms including chronic fatigue, sexual dysfunction, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, mood swings, loss of concentration, memory loss, tingling and depression.
But there is still no scientific consensus on what caused their ill-health or a definitive conclusion on how and whether it is linked to their service in the campaign to expel Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
The Royal British Legion has repeated its call for the Government to sponsor further research into exposure to neurotoxins and to provide an ex-gratia payment of £10,000 to Gulf War veterans in recognition of the authorities' failure to fulfil their duty of care.
Sue Freeth, the RBL's director of welfare, said the report represents a great stride forward in the understanding of the causes of Gulf War illnesses.
She said: "For veterans some of the mystery behind what has caused their conditions is over. For years, veterans have been told that their illnesses are psychological. This report concludes that this is not the case, but the result of exposures to very specific and harmful toxins while serving in the Gulf. The UK Government must not delay any further."
The RBL's parliamentary adviser, Lord Morris of Manchester, sat as a co-opted member on the Congressional committee of inquiry into Gulf War illnesses which led to the commissioning of the report. He said the report brings into stark relief the difference in research funding between the two countries.
He added: "Our troops fought shoulder to shoulder in liberating Kuwait 18 years ago and inevitably they compare research effort and the benefits and services available in both countries. United States spending on research into Gulf War illnesses exceeds 400 million US dollars, or some £260 million. The UK spends £8.5 million, which is why the report's findings are so important."
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