Reducing landmine mortality rates in Iran using public medical education and rural rescue teams--what can be learned from landmine casualties, and how can the situation be improved?

Landmines and unexploded ordnance pose a significant international public health risk and economic threat. Worldwide, an estimated 60 to 110 million anti-personnel landmines have been placed in >70 countries. According to UN sources, as many as two million new mines are laid every year, but due to the high cost of removal, only 200,000 mines are defused each year. Landmines pose a serious ongoing threat to civilians. Unexploded weapons can be found on roads and roadsides, footpaths, farm fields, forests, deserts, along borders, in and surrounding houses and schools, and everywhere people perform their daily activities. Landmines deprive access to needed resources such as food, water, and other basic needs, and inhibit freedom of movement. Landmines prevent the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced citizens , and hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid. Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of people have been injured or killed by anti-personnel landmines. In Afghanistan, 350,000–500,000 have been killed or injured due to landmine explosions, and more occur daily. In Angola, there a re approx i m a t e ly 26,000 amputees, and in Cambodia 30,000. I n Mozambique, 6,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed or maimed by landmines since 1980. Landmine Monitor reports have estimated that annually , 5,000 to 7,000 new casualties are caused by landmines and u n e x p l o d e d o rd n a n c e, the majori ty occur in countries no lon ger invo lved in con f l i c t. 1 Table 1 d i s p l ays the countries most seve re ly burdened by landmine ca s u a l t i e s. Landmines remain active and continue to be a threat for as long as they linger in the ground. Around the world, minefields dating back decades continue to destroy lives and livelihoods every day. The majority of victims are civilians. 2 The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 30 to 40% of all landmine victims are <15 years of age. Children are especially susceptible to injury, since they pick up or step on the devices while herding animals, working in the fields, or just playing. In some areas, children scavenge mines for scrap metal. 3 It is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by abandoned and neglected landmines alre ady spre ad wo rl d w i d e. Four decisive courses …