Vietnam reports that some 400,000 people have suffered death or permanent injury from exposure to Agent Orange. Furthermore, it is estimated that 2,000,000 people have suffered from illnesses caused by exposure and that half a million babies were born with birth defects due to the effects of Agent Orange. It is believed that Agent Orange is still affecting the health of Vietnamese people. While U.S. veterans have been compensated for their exposure to the herbicide mix since they filed a lawsuit in 1979, Vietnamese people’s efforts to secure similar compensation in a 2004 lawsuit was rejected by a U.S. court. Monsanto, once a major manufacturer of Agent Orange, denies that the herbicide mix has long-lasting health impacts.
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