Course: Global Health, Conflict and Violence

This week we explored the catastrophic health, humanitarian and environmental consequences of a nuclear conflict. War is a form of what Galtung called “direct violence”, on a massive scale. War …

A nuclear explosion is triggered through the splitting of an atom that causes a chain reaction. This in turn results in the release of an immense amount of energy in …

Medical Opposition to Nuclear War After the use of atom bombs against Japan in 1945, many health professionals realised the futility of providing health care in a nuclear war. As …

Health professionals have worked for 40 years to inform the public about the health consequences of the use, testing and production of nuclear weapons. The International Physicians for the Prevention …

In the 1940s a group of atomic scientists designed the ‘Doomsday Clock’ to keep track of the likelihood of a nuclear war. The clock’s minute hand moves closer to midnight …

Cancer Radiation-induced cancer has a long latency period, sometimes emerging over 40 years after exposure. The first cancers to emerge are usually thyroid cancer and acute and chronic leukaemia, followed …

What are the direct effects of a nuclear explosion on the human body? Here are some basics. Burns Burn injuries are the major cause of death on the first day. …

You are a nurse with training in disaster management living near Berlin. One morning you wake up to the horrendous news that a nuclear bomb has exploded in the city …

Medical peace work is a powerful tool for removing the root causes of ill health and healing broken societies. However, it is important to remember that as healthcare workers our …

Both International Humanitarian Law and the Do No Harm framework are designed to safeguard population health during armed conflict. The Do No Harm framework is a tool for positive action …

It is now clear that deciding on the right course of action during armed conflict is not easy. The Red Cross and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian …

In this course we have considered many ways that health professionals can improve population health by promoting policies that reduce the structural violence that undermines basic needs. To address the …

You’ve had a chance to reflect on the context of this violent conflict. As a healthcare or humanitarian worker caught in this situation, there are several different courses of action …

Read this text then watch the video above. Climate-change is projected to slow down economic growth and exacerbate poverty in low income countries and some middle income countries. Water stress, …

Read this text before watching the video above. Climate related extreme weather events such as heatwaves, drought, and wildfires have direct and indirect health effects. Working in extreme heat can …