Chernobyl children, nowadays and at that date

Chernobyl children

The elimination of the consequences of Chernobyl remains a problem. Today, as 30 years ago, the statistics of ailments caused by exposure to radiation is vague and ambiguous. In 1994, UNESCO’s thematic conference presented the medical data. According to this evidence, about 3 to 4 million children in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine are suffering from diseases caused by the emitting.

The scholars investigated the Chernobyl children’s lifeline: the viability and the conditions of life, etc. In addition, the researchers compared the state of health children affected by Chernobyl. They conducted a comparative analysis in order to identify the children Chernobyl’s diseases.

The scientists explore these groups in their studies (in Ukraine – the major terrain of the exclusion zone is in this country):

1. All children (about 13 million);
2. The children who lived before the accident in the affected area. Then, they were evacuated to other areas (14 668 people);
3. The children who continue to live in contaminated areas (366 107 people);
4. The children who were born after 1986. Especially, those who come into the world in the affected families (250 thousand people, including 14 000 from the families of the liquidators).

It is worth noting that very unfavorable demographic tendencies characterized the post-accident period:

• The birth rate has been steadily decreasing. Twenty years ago, about 800 thousand children were born every year; about 500 thousand are in Ukraine today.
• The mortality rate has been steadily increasing. For example, approximately 150 thousand people die every year in Ukraine. It is more than born. It can be described as the beginning of extinction.
• Regrettably, the child mortality is high, too.

Chernobyl children struck by emitting influence

The doctors observed the early growth of the children morbidity. Especially, this is true for diseases such as:

1. the anemia,
2. the thyroid disease,
3. the disease related with digestive system,
4. the tumors,
5. the cerebral palsy,
6. the problems with the eyes,
7. the circulation of the blood,
8. the respiratory diseases, etc.

Only in 1993, the medicines diagnosed (first time in life) congenital anomalies for 47 thousand children. The number of children disability grow because of the diseases of the nervous system, birth defects, mental illness. However, many scientists say that only 20% of babies are born healthy.

The flames scorched about 600 thousand children of Chernobyl (means evacuated kids). The special studies have shown that the state of their health is getting worse every year.

Principally, such diseases disturb the children of Chernobyl (including the mentioned above):

• the thyroid cancer (in 8-10 times higher);
• Tuberculosis;
• the blood diseases: primarily anemia, vascular dystonia;
• the visual acuity drops, cataracts;
• the gastric ulcer, the liver disease and the pancreas, the infection of the kidney.

Today, only 42.8% of children who live in contaminated areas found to be healthy. The rate of morbidity growth. It is higher than for Chernobyl children, which were evacuated. The conclusion of the physicians, about the health of children born after April 1986, is also not auspicious. The increased incidence progresses for kids from the families stricken by the Chernobyl.

In addition, the researchers monitored the health of children aged 5-18 years:

1. 1030 children whose parents were involved in the crash at the station in 1986-87,
2. 200 young ones whose parents were exposed to in childhood,
3. 1233 their peers whose parents had no contact with radiation (more likely, the friends of the children of Chernobyl).

Nowadays: “Chernobyl children and their babies”

The healthcare specialists and the researchers conducted the controversy regarding the frequency of congenital malformations in this category. The experts found that the state of the soundness of the descendants of the liquidators differed. It depends on the year when their fathers stay in the polluted area. These data may indicate different emanation doses that the parent’s body got.

• The high-frequency signs of cardiac remodeling characteristic of adolescents from liquidator families.
• The diseases of the respiratory system, mainly of ENT organs.
• The predominant lymphoid formations of the nasopharynx.
• The endocrinopathy occupies a leading position.
• At all stages of monitoring, the diseases of the genitourinary system significantly prevalent for kids from the families of the liquidators. This happens more often among girls.
• The formation of the reproductive system among girls from liquidator’s family (54.4%) was accompanied by the growth of gynecologic pathology. The girls of 14 years have the menstrual disorders in four times more than among their peers from no radiation risk group.
• The maximum prevalence of the blood disorders was in 6-year-olds. It is more common for boys. With age, their frequency decreased. It did not differ from the indicators of friends of Chernobyl children (from the clean region).
• The perinatal complications observed more often for women who in pre-school age were on the radiation-contaminated territories (in 1986-1989). It influenced later on the features of the early development of their offspring.
• The kids from Chernobyl families have the higher level of congenital anomalies and different chronic diseases.

Chernobyl international children’s projects

The ministers removed the signet of secrecy with materials about the aftermath of the explosion. This solution dramatically affected to the life of children of Chernobyl. The Chernobyl children’s project international significance was created in different places. Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, Canada and other countries invited to the recovery the victims.

The child victims could get from Chernobyl children’s project from abroad the veritable help. The real health benefits are clear and measured in figures. Therefore, the changes came in Chernobyl children’s lifeline.

There are several of Chernobyl children’s project in each affected country.

In addition, Chernobyl children international programs exist in some states. Let us name some of them:

1. Noteworthy, for Chernobyl children international program “Tarar” was spent 350 million dollars. Fidel Castro supported it during 22 years. The Chernobyl children’s trust was not betrayed even when Cuba itself was in dire economic straits. Nevertheless, in spite of everything, they helped to kids. With aid of this program, 24 thousand of the victims passed the treatments. In Ukraine, it still operates.
2. Furthermore, Ukraine carries out long-term programs: “Children of Chernobyl” and “Family and Children of Ukraine”. The purpose is the scrutiny of the kids’ lustiness from different regions of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the implementation of the children’s Chernobyl project “Family and children of Ukraine” is under menace due to lack of funding.
3. Likewise, there is the international charity organization “Children of Chernobyl” in the south of Belarus. Eddie Roche created it in 1991. This entity succor the victims.

The short stories about Chernobyl children lifeline

The chasm between the two worlds of Belarus and Europe sometimes becomes apparent not only for children but also for the host families. This several times led to acute incidents. They had the response on the diplomatic level.

In 2006, a similar situation occurred. The girl of 10 years was the ward of Vilejka orphanage. Vika Moroz took part in the Italian rehabilitation program. She became a “hostage” of an Italian family. The adults found the traces of beatings on her body.

They refused to return the girl to the motherland. People hid her in a monastery. Through the efforts of the Belarusian authorities, they returned the girl. Then, the government placed Vika under the care of a foster mother.

When you search on the internet “Chernobyl children s project” or “Chernobyl children s project international”, also, you can know about the personalities who reveal and illustrate this problem. For example, the renowned transborder journalist Gerd Ludwig.

He has picturized many years the aftermath of the Chernobyl catastrophe. On the instructions of National Geographic Magazine, Ludwig same times visited the accident site and the nearby areas in 1993, 2005 and 2011.

In 2011, Kickstarter fund partially sponsored his trip. Ludwig released the application for iPad. It presents more than 150 photographs, videos and interactive panoramic shots. There can be seen the real picture. For instance, one day of the distress, unsuspecting children were playing safely in the day care center of Pripyat. At an early date, they moved out. The kids had to leave all things, even favorite toys and dolls.

Either, the Swiss photographer Niels Ackermann. His works are included in the level of the international famous book “White Angel: Children of Chernobyl have grown”. It consists of 70 color photographs. These images depict the everyday private life of young people in Slavutych (Chernobyl area).