NYC Health Department Recognizes World Trade Center Health Registry’s Decades of Research Into Long-term Health Impacts of 9/11

For Over 20 Years, the Registry Has Tracked the Health Effects of People Directly Exposed to the Aftermath of 9/11 to Inform Healthcare and Public Health Practices

September 10, 2026 — As the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaches, the New York City Health Department is recognizing the work of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry — the largest post-disaster health registry in U.S. history and one of the longest running in the world. The Registry tracks the health of 71,000 enrollees, identifying long-term and emerging conditions that helps those exposed to the aftermath of the terrorist attacks access specialized healthcare.

The Registry was created in 2002 to better understand the short- and long-term health effects and gaps in care among people exposed to dust, debris, smoke, and psychological trauma on or after 9/11. Its enrollees include rescue and recovery workers, people who worked in the area, residents, children, and others who were present in Lower Manhattan. Following extensive outreach, over 71,000 eligible civilian survivors and 9/11 responders from across the U.S. and other countries voluntarily enrolled in the Registry and completed their initial health interview. Enrollees provide periodic health updates through follow-up surveys. The Registry’s research has contributed to identification and greater understanding of 9/11-related physical health conditions including asthma and other respiratory illnesses, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cancer; mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression; and emerging conditions, including autoimmune diseases, hearing problems, and cognitive impairment.

“The World Trade Center Health Registry has been essential to understanding the long-term health impacts of September 11 and ensuring that those who were exposed continue to be seen, heard, supported, and never forgotten,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin. “By tracking health outcomes for over two decades, the Registry provides critical information that helps us identify emerging health concerns, guide prevention and treatment efforts, and better understand the lasting effects of large-scale disasters. Their work is a powerful reminder that preparedness also is ongoing and means having the systems in place to protect and monitor the health of communities for years to come.”

Lifelong Impact

The Registry was established as a collaboration between the NYC Health Department and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It has been funded since 2009 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. For more than two decades, the Registry has conducted research to better understand the comprehensive outcomes and needs of individuals who were in Lower Manhattan on September 11 and the time following. Over the past 20 years, the Registry has identified enduring impacts on health and well-being. Its research and findings include:

• Symptoms of PTSD are some of the most common health effects of exposure to 9/11. Nearly 20% of adults exposed to the events have experienced PTSD symptoms — 4 times the rate of PTSD in the general public. For many, the condition has persisted for over 20 years.v
• Those who directly experienced 9/11 as children were twice as likely to develop asthma compared with the general population of New York State. They also have an increased likelihood of depression. This suggests that exposure to 9/11 in childhood may have long-lasting impacts into adulthood.
• The Registry has tracked enrollees’ symptoms and conditions associated with 9/11 dust exposure for more than two decades, including exposure to the dust cloud, resuspended dust, and residential dust. Tracked conditions include respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, and autoimmune diseases, as well as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and hearing loss.
• One of the emerging impacts more recently discovered is an increase in cognitive impairment. Multiple studies have found that exposure to the dust cloud on 9/11 was significantly associated with cognitive impairment, and a Registry study found that confusion and memory loss affect more than 1 in 5 enrollees.
• About 1 in 3 enrollees reported moderate to high levels of post-traumatic growth — positive psychological changes that can emerge after experiencing trauma. This included a greater appreciation for life, stronger personal relationships, increased personal strength, and a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.
• Membership in the WTC Health Program — a federal program that provides medical benefits to people affected by 9/11, to which the Registry provides referrals — may reduce risks of mortality among 9/11 responders after accounting for underlying medical conditions. This underscores the importance of comprehensive health monitoring and treatment services for disaster-relief workers.

The Registry’s work has informed 9/11-related healthcare and public health practices, including disaster preparedness and response and establishment of new post-disaster registries dealing with worldwide health crises such as COVID-19 and air quality emergencies such as the toxic smoke clouds emanating from the Maui wildfires.

Looking Forward

By learning from the experiences of the past, the Registry helps build a more resilient and effective response system to support and protect those most impacted before, during, and after disasters.

The Registry will continue to track the course of reported 9/11-related health conditions, identify any new emerging conditions, and provide services through its Treatment Referral Program to link enrollees to the federal WTC Health Program. Going forward, areas of research focus include aging and cognition, emergency preparedness, consequences of experiencing multiple disaster events, and continuing to follow child enrollees, who are now all in their adult years.

Visit the WTC Health Registry website for information on Registry findings, health handouts on 9/11-related conditions, research videos, enrollee testimonial videos, and a complete listing of published Registry research.

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MEDIA CONTACT: pressoffice@health.nyc.gov