“The role of physicians and other health workers in the preservation and promotion of peace is the most significant factor for the attainment of health for all.”
World Health Assembly, Resolution 34.38, 1981
Medical Peace Work is an emerging field of expertise in health work, violence prevention and peace building. A partnership of medical organizations and teaching institutions committed to this new field of expertise developed a dozen online courses and a collection of teaching resources for medical peace education. Courses are offered at various times during the year, with over 10,000 having taken the courses to date. IPPNW affiliates and doctors helped develop and author the courses.
Medical Peace Work course takers can learn about topics such as how war and human rights violations affect health, how to speak out for the prevention of violence and promotion of peace, and the health effects of climate change and nuclear weapons.
IPPNW is working to develop field projects as a follow-on to the course taking.