Ending nuclear weapons, before they end us

Kamran  Abbasi; Parveen  Ali; Virginia  Barbour; Marion  Birch; Inga Blum; Peter  Doherty; Andy  Haines; Ira  Helfand; Richard  Horton; Kati  Juva; Jose F.  Lapena Jr; Robert  Mash; Olga  Mironova; Arun  Mitra; Carlos   Monteiro; Elena N.  Naumova; David Onazi; Tilman  Ruff; Peush  Sahni; James  Tumwine; Carlos Umaña; Paul  Yonga; Chris Zielinski

doi:10.17305/bb.2025.12736

Authors

Kamran Abbasi Editor-in-Chief, British Medical Journal, London, UK
Parveen Ali Editor-in-Chief, International Nursing Review; Professor of Nursing at Health Sciences School, University of Sheffield and Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals; Lead, Sheffield University Interpersonal Violence Research Group, Sheffield, UK
Virginia Barbour Editor-in-Chief, Medical Journal of Australia, Brisbane, Australia
Marion Birch Editor-in-Chief, Medact & University College London
Inga Blum At large Board Member, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Peter Doherty Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute, Australia
Andy Haines Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Ira Helfand Past President, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Springfield, USA
Richard Horton Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet, London, UK
Kati Juva Neurologyist and University lecturer in Helsinki University Central Hospital, Division of Psychiatry, Helsinki, Finland
Jose F. Lapena Jr Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ward 10, Philippine General Hospital, Ermita, Manila, Philippines
Robert Mash Editor-in-Chief, African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine; Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Olga Mironova Cardiologist, Russian Cardiology Research and Production Complex; Professor of the chair of Faculty Therapy in Sechenov University, Russia
Arun Mitra Past President, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; President, Indian Doctors for Peace and Development, Ludhiana, India
Carlos Monteiro Editor-in-Chief, Revista de Saúde Pública; Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Elena N. Naumova Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Public Health Policy; Professor and Chair, Tufts University, Boston, USA
David Onazi Senior Emergency Doctor working with a private hospital; International Councilor, Society of Nigerian Doctors for the Welfare of Mankind, Abuja, Nigeria
Tilman Ruff Past President, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Peush Sahni Editor-in-Chief, National Medical Journal of India; Professor and Head, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
James Tumwine Editor-in-Chief, African Health Sciences; Professor and Dean, School of Medicine at Kabale University, Kampala, Uganda
Carlos Umaña General practitioner; Epidemiological Surveillance Officer, Costa Rican Ministry of Health, Costa Rica
Paul Yonga Editor-in-Chief, East African Medical Journal; CA Medlynks Medical Centre and Laboratory, Nairobi, Kenya
Chris Zielinski Vice President, World Association of Medical Editors (WAME); Visiting Fellow, University of Winchester, Wichester, UK

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17305/bb.2025.12736

Keywords:

Editorial, nuclear war risks

Abstract

This May, 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 (1). Health professionals and their associations should urge their governments to support such a mandate and support the new UN comprehensive study on the effects of nuclear war.