Ending Nuclear Weapons, Before They End Us.

Abstract

The World Health Assembly (WHA) will vote on re-establishing a mandate for the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the health consequences of nuclear weapons and war during the WHA in May 2025. This mandate is important as the world has witnessed a reduction in the commitment to nuclear arms reduction from the world's nuclear states indicating thata worldwide nuclear arms race is underway. The Marshall Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu, supported by seven co-sponsoring states and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), are working to renew WHO's mandateon nuclear weapons and health which lapsed in 2020. They are seeking wide support for a resolution on the health effects of nuclear weapons/war at this year's WHA in Geneva on 19-27 May 2025, that would enable the WHO to re-establish a programme of work on this most critical threat to health and be able to lead strongly in providing the best health evidence to the UN panel. It is in furtherance of the advocacy to support this mandate that this editorial is published to promote support for this cause that will provide vital authoritative and up-to-date evidence for health and public education to advance global health and reduce the health risk associated with nuclear weapons and war.