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Abstract
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Aug 6 and Aug 9 mark the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where roughly 140 000 and 74 000 people died, respectively. Last year saw the 75th anniversary, but it passed largely unnoticed by most of the world, which was perhaps understandably preoccupied with the all-too-present threat of COVID-19. Nuclear war is low in most people's priorities. But according to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2021, weapons of mass destruction are still the greatest long-term existential threat to the world. Nuclear war could dwarf a pandemic in terms of health impacts, pressure on health services, difficulties in protecting essential workers, societal effects, and overwhelming global ramifications. Amid increasing geopolitical tensions and intensifying global stressors, it is worth reconsidering the role of the health community in preventing the use of nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons are a health issue. They are a direct cause of death and an existential threat to planetary health. The health effects of radiation from nuclear bombs persist in survivors, including emergency and recovery workers, for many years. Psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, are prevalent in atomic bomb survivors. The legacy of nuclear testing, even from many decades ago, continues. On July 27, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France owed a debt to French Polynesia for nuclear tests that were done in the Pacific territory in the 1960s and 1970s. According to the Moruroa Files, around 110 000 people were affected--almost the entire Polynesian population at the time--creating a "health disaster", which the French authorities concealed for more than 50 years. Nuclear weapons have been detonated over 2000 times for testing and demonstration since 1945.
The massive weapons stockpiles of the USA and Russia have decreased since their peak during the Cold War era, but other threats are emerging. Tensions are rising in the western Pacific, with North Korea estimated to have an arsenal of 30-40 nuclear weapons as of early 2020. Potential conflict between India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, remains on a knife edge. It is unclear whether Iran will return to the nuclear arms control agreement tossed out so readily by Donald Trump. Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are putting further stress on the international system. Worldwide, around 1800 warheads are ready to use at very short notice. The Doomsday Clock--an indicator of the world's proximity to global catastrophe--was set at 100 seconds to midnight in 2020 and 2021, the closest to midnight since its creation in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
There are global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons
Language: en |