Global Health Professionals Must Continue to Prevent Nuclear War

George D. Lundberg, MD

On August 6, 1945, the United States destroyed Hiroshima, Japan, with the first atomic bomb ever used in war. The second destroyed Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The Hiroshima bomb ended WWII with Japan. Nagasaki resulted from faulty communication. No nuclear explosion in warfare has occurred since then, in no small part due to health professionals' delivery of this truth: There is no adequate medical response to nuclear war. On August 5, 1983, JAMA published the first (of what became annual for many years) Hiroshima theme issue dedicated specifically to preventing nuclear war.

That initial issue included an original description by Japanese author Dr Taro Takemi about how he diagnosed the atomic bomb and informed the emperor, who, after consultation, ended the war.

The annual JAMA Hiroshima issue cover was original art of the Marukis, who visited Hiroshima soon after the blast and painted what they saw. We discovered their remarkable work at their gallery near Tokyo in 1983.

JAMA cover

Concurrent efforts by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, especially that of its founders, American cardiologist Bernard Lown and Russian cardiologist Yevgeniy Chazov, earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

This August 2023, medical journal editors the world over continue this tradition of joint massive publication to preserve our planet and its inhabitants.