The story of “A First Time”

Drs. David Onazi and Sally Ndung’u at the World Medical Association General Assembly 2023

By Dr. David Onazi, IPPNW Co-President

The FIRST TIME I became one of the co-presidents of IPPNW in April 2023 my passion was reborn to play a vital role in our cause for a nuclear free planet. It then became apparent that being African presented me with the opportunity to go to Kigali, Rwanda to attend the World Medical Association (WMA) General Assembly in October 2023, which also was the FIRST TIME Rwanda played host to the WMA and my FIRST TIME going to Rwanda.

The WMA congress in Rwanda also allowed me to meet for the FIRST TIME in person with Dr. Sally Ndung’u, the immediate past co-president and a currently serving at-large board member of IPPNW. We quickly bonded into a strong representation and pair for IPPNW and it seemed like we had always known each other. We worked through the FIRST TIME experience of meeting each other face to face to accomplish the targets set for us attending the WMA general assembly in consultation with IPPNW staff and our board chair.

At the WMA meeting, we met for the FIRST TIME, the past immediate President, (Dr Osahon), and newly elected President, (Dr. Lujain Al-Qodmani). We had productive discussions with them about the possibility of WMA key officials meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) to request a revision of the WHO 1987 study about the effects of nuclear weapons on health.

The WMA was of course filled with health policy discussions, plenary sessions and moments to hang out for social interactions for which we took advantage of to discuss our main concern- the threat of nuclear weapons

On the final day of the meeting, it was the FIRST TIME for Sally and me to present to an assembly of Hippocratic oath takers on the role physicians can play to achieve a nuclear free world. Our presentation provoked interest among member associations, including Hong Kong and Bangladesh, whose representatives insisted that the WMA take the matter more seriously and become more vocal about it.

The closing remarks about our presentation came from Lujain Al-Qodmani, who reassured the general assembly that she would take the matter more seriously. She further expressed her commitment to go to the WHO to revise their 1987 study. She met with us after the meeting and asked that we send a draft of what she should be taking to the WHO, which we have communicated to others at IPPNW.

For my FIRST TIME attending a WMA meeting, I believe we left a lasting impact on the WMA on how they must respond to the issue of the presence of nuclear weapons on our planet.

We hope one day to see nuclear weapons states taking bold steps for the FIRST TIME to ban nuclear weapons as a result of our collective and untiring engagement and activism.