Deaths Due to Watchtower Blood Doctrine - Statistics on one patient population
To date there is no vetted study of records offering estimates of overall mortality and morbidity attributable to the WTS’ blood doctrine. Vetted literature frequently expresses adherence to the WTS’ blood doctrine as causing premature death and/or disease, but the question of overall mortality and morbidity is very complex and, so far, unaddressed statistically.
On the other hand, there is at least one decent peer reviewed study that helps wrap our brains around the serious consequence of following the WTS’ blood doctrine. This study is published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, and it addresses only one patient presentation — maternity. This peer reviewed article provides sufficient statistical data to conservatively estimate annual deaths based on maternity.
The 2002 medical article by Khadra et al states:
“In the CEMD the very high risk of mortality in women who refuse blood transfusion was highlighted. The death rate in this group was 1 per 1,000 maternities compared with an expected incidence of less than 1 per 100, 000 maternities.”(1)
Assuming an annual birth rate of 20 per 1,000(2), and based on the Watchtower organization’s annual statistics, over the period of 1995 through 2006 there were at least 1,455,000 births among Jehovah’s Witnesses. Assuming these women presented themselves as refusing blood, this translates into 1,455 deaths during this period compared to less than 14 expected deaths.
The source cited by Khadra et al only addresses maternal deaths in the United Kingdom. Compared to other nations the UK has a relatively low birth rate on one hand, and on the other hand has rather advanced medical facilities and treatment options. Hence the statistical extrapolation of 1,455 deaths is extremely conservative given that a significant population of Jehovah’s Witnesses lives in developing countries where birth rates are much higher and medical facilities and treatment options far less capable.
A frightening historical reality occurs considering that 1) at the time the Watchtower began imposing its blood doctrine in 1961 the annual world birth rate was around 35 per 1,000 population and that 2) compared to today’s medical standards maternal mortality and morbidity rates around 1961 were considerably higher, particularly in underdeveloped regions of the world. (The latter is reflected in the nearly twice as high statistical death rate in 1960 compared to 2005)(3) This reality is exacerbated considering this virtual slaughter only represents the single patient presentation of maternity. It does not even begin to consider mortality and morbidity resulting from literally hundreds of other/additional serious medical presentations.
Marvin Shilmer __________________
References:
1. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2002, 2:7 (Full text available at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/2/7 )
2. Sourced from The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (esa.un.org). United Kingdom and World annual birth rates per 1,000 population is measured based on source’s calculator available at http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=3 . Parameters applied for the United Kingdom rate are, region: United Kingdom; variant: medium; start/end year: 1985 and 2005. Parameters applied for world rate are, region: world; variant: medium; start/end year: 1985 and 2005.
3. Sourced from The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (esa.un.org). World annual birth and death rates per 1,000 population is measured based on source’s calculator available at http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=3 . Parameters applied are, region: world; variant: medium; start/end year: 1960 and 2005.