Joining the Call to End Nuclear Weapons, Before They End Us

The Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery previously co published two guest editorials, on “Reducing the Risks of Nuclear War— the Role of Health Professionals”1 and “Time to Treat the Climate and Nature Crisis as One Indivisible Global Health Emergency”2 that addressed dual potentially catastrophic concerns that both place us “on the brink.”3 By co-publishing these guest editorials, the Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery joined the call for “health professional associations to inform their members worldwide about the threat to human survival and to join with the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) to support efforts to reduce the near-term risks of nuclear war.”1 As enumerated in the editorial,1 we urged three immediate steps that should be taken by nuclear-armed states and their allies: 1) adopt a no first use policy;4 2) take their nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert; and 3) urge all states involved in current conflicts to pledge publicly and unequivocally that they will not use nuclear weapons in these conflicts. It is alarming that no progress has been made on these measures. Thus, on our 44th Anniversary, we join over 150 scholarly scientific journals worldwide in co-publishing another Guest Editorial on “Ending Nuclear Weapons, Before They End Us.”5 We call on the World Health Assembly (WHA) to vote this May on re establishing a mandate for the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the consequences of nuclear weapons and war,6 and urge health professionals and their associations (including otolaryngologists – head and neck surgeons, all surgeons and physicians, and the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Philippine College of Surgeons, Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Philippine Pediatric Society, Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecologic Society, Philippine Society of Anesthesiology, Philippine College of Radiology, Philippine Society of Pathologists, other specialty and subspecialty societies, and the Philippine Medical Association) to urge the Philippine Government to support such a mandate and support the new United Nations (UN) comprehensive study on the effects of nuclear war.7