War and conflict are major causes of human suffering. They also cause environmental degradation, perpetuate inequalities and undermine democracy. Nuclear bombs and other indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction are incompatible with the public health aims of safety and health protection.
But a vast complex of standing armies, militias, weapons manufacturers, arms traders and politicians promote war, violence and militarism out of self-interest and greed, or because they fail to see better alternatives for resolving conflict and disputes.
Health professionals have a long history of: providing humanitarian relief; facilitating ceasefires and the cessation of conflict; promoting disarmament and peacebuilding; and providing impartial evidence on the perpetration of war crimes.
Medact grew out of the medical peace movement and is the UK affiliate of the Nobel Laureate International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).
Medact continues to promote disarmament and encourage investment in nonviolent responses to conflict; seek the abolition of nuclear weapons; and reduce the power and influence of the global military-industrial complex. It promotes the universal right to health as a platform for peace building and more effective international diplomacy and cooperation.
Latest
Design brief: Kill The Bill briefing publication and graphics
We are looking to commission a skilled freelancer graphic designer to produce materials for an upcoming briefing on the public health case against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill, in support of the movement to Kill The Bill. Medact is writing a...
IPPNW Concert with Yo-Yo Ma
A concert to honour the work of GBPSR and IPPNW co-founder Dr. Bernard Lown, who, together with Dr. Evgeny Chazov of the Soviet Union, accepted the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize on IPPNW’s behalf
Stop the Arms Fair! Stop DSEI 2021
Every two years, one of the world's biggest arms fairs is held in London's Docklands. DSEI sees weapons and technology manufacturers from across the world come to the ExCeL Centre in London to exhibit their products to representatives of governments and regimes across...
Alternative Training on Prevent in Healthcare #3
What do you know about the Prevent counter-extremism duty in the NHS? Join us for an ‘alternative’ online training on Prevent.
Serious violence measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill undermine public health
As an organisation that represents the voice of the health community, we are concerned about the public health impacts of the PCSC Bill. In this briefing, we focus particularly on the risks of harm associated with the proposed Serious Violence Duty (SVD) and Serious...