Other considerations have also narrowed the scope of the report. The investigated sites making up the Blacksmith Institute’s database are located only in countries where political and logistical considerations allow for routine and safe access for investigators. The discussion of impacted geographic regions in the report is by no means complete and only represents the current sites investigated by Blacksmith Institute. Financial limitations constrain our ability to investigate sites in all countries as well; so the countries that are chosen are considered to be representative of similar low to middle-income countries. In addition, the current lack of reliable human-based studies.
