Iraq has been the victim of an extremely unstable government since gaining their independence in 1932. This unstable environment and numerous conflicts have contributed significantly to the poor state of the nation's health. Iraq is a country which has been torn apart by war and religious conflicts. In 2003, US forces invaded Iraqi soil and forcibly removed President Saddam Hussein from public office. US occupation of Iraq lasted until 2011, however Iraq’s troubled history does not end there. After the removal of Saddam Hussein, shia Muslims (the majority of Iraq’s population) were initially thrilled to have the sunni President removed, as the sunni dominated government limited the power of the shia majority. However this excitement quickly turned to fear after the removal of US forces. The new shia government, put in place by the US, failed to unite the country as a whole. As a result, the sunni extremist minority led a rebellion which grew to an all time high in 2014. Conflicts between sunni and shia Muslims continue to threaten the political foundation of the country (British Broadcasting Company, 2015). With such a tumultuous past, it is easy to understand why the health of Iraqi citizens has been a low priority. The main focus of hospitals and clinics in Iraq are to treat emergent and traumatic cases, as well as conditions related to poor living conditions (such as respiratory infections, skin irritations and gastrointestinal distress). Diseases such as Leukemia have become a low priority for health officials due to the emergent nature of injuries and conditions related to war.
Over the past decade, as the country has been torn apart by conflict, public health has suffered major blows. In turn, GDP has suffered significantly which consequently led to a drop in in government spending on public health. Health infrastructure deterioration, as well as a shortage of healthcare supplies and professionals has made it extremely difficult for the country to deal with rising health issues that are a result of war and unstable government (World Health Organization, 2015). To complicate matter, after the Iraq invasion of Kuwait the United Nations imposed a set of 661 sanctions that severely limit the trade of the country. This has prevented the country from importing medical supplies that are greatly needed for the treatment of advanced diseases such as Leukemia. The sanctions on the country are so expansive that even charitable donations can be restricted from entering the country (Office of Foreign Assets Control, 2010).