Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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About 5 mln people continue to live now in the areas wth a varying degree of
radioactive contamination in the Ukraine. About 1 mln people of them reside in the settlings
which by the Government of Ukraine granted various kinds of privileges in view of an
increased introduction to human organism of radionucUdes with locally produced milk. These
data illustrate only one big aspect of socio-demographic implication of the Chomobyl
explosion.
A serious result of this disaster is the emergence in Ukraine of a new demographic
catastrophe after the year 1986. We can say with certainty that Chomobyl disaster has
become the heaviest event in a demographic development of the country after the end
of the Second World War, has made the significant contribution in the worsening of a
modem demographic situation and perspectives of Ukraine's population reproduction.
As a result of the accident, the normal demographic proceses were disturbed and their
negative tendences were stimulated. Other factors
- social tensions, economic instability
and decrease of standards of life of Ukraine's population - due to a new geopolitical situation
and transition period - make the situation much worse. The poulation has sharply reacted
on total changes in environmental, socio-economic and political transformations during last
10
years: first, with curtailment of activities in a normal - economic, matrimonial and
educational
behaviour; and second, with unexpected increase of after stress reactions.
Based on the analysis of the current and previous statistical data of population reproduction
in Ukraine we concluded that within 1986-1995 years there had occured changes in all
demographic parameters, such as
number and structure of population of Ukraine, the birth
rates and infant mortaUty rates, causes of mortality and the migration level. E>ecrease of
birth rate and population aging, formation of families which do not reproduce themselves -
these are the features of Ukrainian population today.
According to the international comparison of population reproduction indices -
the birth and death rates of population and its natural increase - Ukraine has tendency to
move on the worse range places during the 5 last years. As for the birth rate (10.0 %o)
takes last place among former republics of the USSR, death rate of population (14.7%o)
- the "honorary " 2nd place among developed countries of the world, by infant
mortality rate ( 14 per 1,000 live births ) - stands at twice the European average, by the
human life span ( 68 years)
- 86th place over the world. From the 1991 there is a
depopulation in Ukraine, which has reached more than 500,(XX) persons till 1995.
The UN office on population reported that in 1994 there were only two nations in
Europe with negative population growth - Ukraine and Belarus. The report attributed this
decUne in part to increased infant mortafity and adverse health conditions stemming from
Chomobyl disaster.
Because of the mistaken evaluation of scope of the Chomobyl catastrophe during the
first post-disaster years and the wrong scientific approach toward taking appropriate.