Nuclear Weapons
The elimination of all nuclear weapons is an urgent medical, humanitarian and public health imperative.
Armed Violence
Armed violence is a public health crisis that can be prevented using a public health approach.
Peace and Health Blog
- Evgeny Chazov: 1929-2021
- The bad and the good at crunch time for humanity
- IPPNW Statement on how WHO could advance the planetary health imperative to eradicate nuclear weapons.
- Passing the torch
- Why is US military spending increasing to new, outlandish levels?
- Nuclear power has no place in a healthy, sustainable future
- Passing the torch
- Imagine a world with US-China cooperation
- The fate of Cassandra: dire predictions go unheeded
- Bold action needed on nuclear weapons
IPPNW Mourns the Loss of Dr. Evgeny Chazov
IPPNW’s founding co-president Dr. Evgeny Chazov died on 12 November in Moscow at the age of 92. News of his death, along with a profile of his life and scientific accomplishments, appeared in TASS, Russia’s largest news agency. Earlier this year, IPPNW lost our other founding co-president, Dr. Bernard Lown, who died on 16 February in Boston.
Together, the two longtime friends and fellow cardiologists forged a partnership with other Soviet and American physicians to sound a global warning that the only medical response to a nuclear war is to prevent one from happening. The launch of IPPNW in 1980 was a courageous experiment to set aside the bitter geo-political differences of their two countries, in order to speak with one voice about necessary goal of abolishing nuclear weapons.
Five short years later, Dr. Lown and Chazov would reunite in Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of IPPNW. Dr. Chazov closed his acceptance speech about our collective obligation to:
…avert transformation of the Earth from a flourishing planet into a heap of smoking ruins Our duty is to hand it over to our successors in a better state than it was inherited by us. Therefore, it is not for fame, but for the happiness and for the future of all mothers and children that we – International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War – have worked, are working and will work.
Dr. Chazov’s vision, wisdom and courage will continue to guide our movement to eradicate nuclear weapons and ensure that humanity’s future is not cut short.
IPPNW and Greater Boston PSR (GBPSR) were pleased to host our fourth annual event September 25th to address the twin existential threats of nuclear war and climate change. This year’s virtual event honored the work of Dr. Bernard Lown, who, together with Dr. Evgeny Chazov of the Soviet Union, accepted the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize on IPPNW’s behalf.
Health professionals in Australia, the UK and the US have expressed their deep concerns at Australia’s proposed acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines with UK and US assistance, stating that the plan will jeopardise global health and security.
All three nations involved in this deal should turn their attention from arming the world to supporting global efforts for a nuclear weapons free world. The most important step that they – and other nations that have not done so – could take to hasten this goal would be to join the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
All nations, including Australia, the US and the UK, should be doing absolutely everything possible to avoid a military escalation and confrontation with China, and reduce rather than exacerbate the danger of nuclear war.