TAB E – Report of the World Health Organization Depleted Uranium Mission to Kosovo ^[82]

Summary. The purpose of the World Health Organization (WHO) mission to Kosovo (January 22-31, 2001) was to assist in monitoring any possible health consequences to the civilian population in Kosovo due to NATO’s use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions. The team extensively reviewed available information, visited DU target sites, and met with a wide range of organizations including health units and hospitals, Kosovo Force (KFOR) contingents, medical and environmental agencies, and various UN and other organizations with a direct interest in depleted uranium. The WHO team observed that the DU issues in Kosovo are small in comparison to the high levels of lead in people of the Mitrovica region and the alarmingly high rates of traffic deaths and communicable diseases.

• Scientific and medical studies have not established a link between DU exposure and the onset of cancers, congenital abnormalities, or serious toxic chemical effects on organs. Some scientists would like to see a larger body of independently (i.e., non-military) funded studies to confirm the current viewpoint. No convincing evidence is available to indicate any health impacts on the Kosovo population from using DU munitions.
• The health and population information systems presently available in Kosovo do not permit the reliable identification of any changes in disease frequency in the population.

Recommendations. The WHO called for developing a concerted communications strategy, advising the public to treat DU penetrators with caution, improving medical data recording, establishing a comprehensive health information system, and improving population and migration estimates. The WHO did not recommend mass screening of the population for uranium. However, because of the strong beliefs held by some, the report said a limited testing program could be considered based on medical referral by a local doctor. The report indicated that testing options were being considered separately by the Sustainable Development and Health Environments Cluster at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva. The report did not recommend the creation of an immediate, separate clean-up program at target sites where DU rounds were used; instead site clean-up activities should, whenever possible, be part of planned, routine mine clearing activities. The report also commented that most of the DU penetrators would be buried and that "buried penetrators are unlikely to decompose quickly and hence, their addition to the natural environmental abundance of total uranium in soil will be small."

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