GENEVA: Iraq and the WHO have agreed a plan for working together to explore the connection between Depleted Uranium (DU) and diseases found among the Iraqi people following the 1991 Gulf War, the WHO said .

A delegation from Iraq and experts of the World Health Organisation drew up a framework for future collaboration and action during talks here from April 9 until 11, who spokeswoman Melinda Henry said.

Although they will concentrate on DU, they also plan to look at all the different environmental health risks to see if other factors are at work as a result of the conflict, she said.

It represents the start of"a process where we can expore health effects and depleted uranium and also look at other factors which may be responsible for any increase an certain diseases," she said.

The framework covers three areas -- surveillance especially cancers and congenital malformations, as well as DU measurements in affected people, plus prevention and research, she said. (AFP)