Health aid extended for veterans' children

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The Government has offered to pay the medical bills of children of war veterans despite a new report finding no link between their health problems and their parents' exposure to Agent Orange and radiation.

A new, long-awaited report by the Wellington School of Medicine into birth defects, cancer and other illnesses suffered by the children of Vietnam and nuclear test veterans was released yesterday.

Veterans' Affairs Minister George Hawkins said that, despite no causal link being established by the researchers, the Government had put aside funds to help cover out-of-pocket expenses for veterans' children with some medical conditions.

In April last year, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced financial help for the families of Vietnam veterans affected by the defoliant Agent Orange. The package included genetic counselling and help with the medical costs of veterans' children who suffered from spina bifida and cleft lip or palate.

The extra assistance package announced by Mr Hawkins yesterday would extend that help to the children of naval veterans who served aboard HMNZS Pukaki and HMNZS Rotoiti during Operation Grapple, when nuclear weapons were tested near Malden and Christmas islands in the 1950s.

It would also be extended to cover children conceived after their parents' service had ended and who had since been diagnosed with adrenal gland cancer and acute myeloid leukaemia.

There was no estimate of how much the new funding would cost because it would depend on the number of people who were ill and whether they asked for assistance.

Vietnam Veterans' Association spokesman John Moller said he was grateful for the Government attempt to examine health problems suffered by veterans and their children.

"Full marks to the Government for keeping its promise to investigate the issue," he said. "But the report is really just a rehash of what we already knew."

Mr Moller said some of the statements in the report were based on fraudulent and discredited overseas studies. He was also disappointed the researchers had not spoken to veterans or their children.

The report examined existing international research on the health problems suffered by children of veterans. It found limited evidence to suggest a link between spina bifida and exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam but said other research showed no increased risk that veterans would be more likely to father children with birth defects.

About 3368 New Zealanders served in the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1972.

The report said there was limited potential for New Zealand troops to have been exposed to Agent Orange because they mostly served in the Phuoc Tuy province, where there was no aerial spraying.

But Mr Moller said Phuoc Tuy had been sprayed with Agent Orange. He said New Zealand soldiers had also served in an area north of Phuoc Tuy which had been sprayed.

The report said there were not enough Vietnam veterans in New Zealand to carry out an effective epidemiological study of specific birth defects.

But Mr Moller said researchers needed only to visit Vietnam hospitals to see the effects of Agent Orange on the population of that country.

The report also found there was no high-quality epidemiological literature available to support a link between New Zealand nuclear test veterans' exposure to ionising radiation and health problems suffered by their children.

About 563 New Zealand naval personnel took part in nuclear weapons tests near Malden and Christmas Islands in 1957 and 1958.

Mr Hawkins said New Zealand was the only country that provided assistance to the children of nuclear test veterans.

Two British lawyers are interviewing New Zealand veterans who witnessed the nuclear testing in the Pacific.

The lawyers are part of a team preparing a class action against the British Government on behalf of servicemen involved in atomic testing programmes.