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The city's annual report on the health of rescue workers at the World Trade Center site and nearby residents released Thursday reveals that seven years after the terror attacks, New Yorkers continue to suffer from 9/11-related health conditions.
"Nine-eleven is still with many New Yorkers. One of the things that we found is that the findings across different studies and different groups have been remarkably similar in their outcome," said Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden.
The World Trade Center Medical Working Group, a group of medical and health experts appointed by the mayor last year, reviewed more than 100 scientific articles published since 2001 on the health of those affected by 9/11.
The study's key findings indicate respiratory diseases have persisted for 25 percent of firefighters, two to four years after 9/11.
Asthma is a common issue for many Lower Manhattan residents, as are mental health problems, like post-traumatic stress disorder. Substance abuse and depression have not been fully examined by the report.
The report calls for action, expanding research on WTC-related conditions, and determining whether cancer rates and other potentially terminal illnesses are elevated in New York City.
"We don't know if these diseases will emerge; we do know that we should be alert to the potential for their occurrence," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The report also calls for the re-opening of the federal victim compensation fund and for increased long-term funding from the federal government for treatment and monitoring – something those who suffer from 9/11-related issues say is mandatory.
"People are having cancers now, people are getting sick, they need the medical coverage, and the government seems to be turning their back on them, and I don't think that's the right thing to do," said Retired FDNY Chief Jimmy Riches.
The city is also reaching out to more people exposed to the attacks who may not have 9/11-related problems, but who may not yet have sought treatment – a population the report says that could be in the hundreds of thousands. The tagline of this campaign is: Live There, Work There, You Deserve Care.
"We think that most people had symptoms early on and many of them may have gotten better," said World Trade Center Environmental Health Center Dr. Joan Reibman. "Some of them may actually have then re-occured. We think that some people also may have developed symptoms over the subsequent few years."
The city is encouraging anyone who thinks they may be suffering to call 311 for help.
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