Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: The Adverse Effects on Communities of the Diversion of Human and Financial Resources

The economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been huge. The operational costs of these wars exceed $1 trillion and are likely, including interest on debt, to be well over $3 trillion, exceeding every other war the United States has waged since World War II. This presentation will analyze these expenditures, as well as the human costs of these wars, and how these monies could have been spent for health and other human services in the United States and globally. It will also explore the roles of public health workers in restoring adequate funding for health and human services.