Article for MEDACT Communique
Childhood Leukemias Near Nuclear Power Stations
February 2008 In the late1980s and early 1990s, a number of UK studies revealed increased incidences of childhood leukemias near the nuclear facilities at Windscale (now Sellafield), Burghfield and Dounreay. The official reaction to these increases was that the estimated radiation doses from intakes of nuclides released by these facilities were too low (by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude) to explain the increased leukemias. more...
Appeal by health professionals
Independence for WHO
20/12/2007 The World Health Organization (WHO) works towards the resolution of public health problems and to this end, it is mandated «to assist in developing an informed public opinion» (WHO Constitution, 7 April 1948). However, since the WHO/IAEA Agreement (WHA12-40) was signed on 28 May 1959, the WHO appears to be subordinate to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As health professionals, we support the request that WHO, in line with its constitution, recover its independence in the area of ionising radiation.
A new terenean Antinuclear link
Mediterranean No Nuclear Neighbourhood
2 October 2007 In Rhodes was created a new terenean Antinuclear link named Mediterranean No Nuclear Neighbourhood (MN³). In the Secretariat Maria Arvaniti Sotiropoulou was elected representing the Greek Affiliate of IPPNW. Following you find the declaration of MN³. "We, the Organizations from 9 countries of the wider area of the Mediterranean gathered in Rhodes, September 27-29 2007, and signed the Protocol of Cooperation for the Creation of the Mediterranean No Nuclear Neighbourhood, address the citizens of our countries with a hopeful dream..." more...
The incidents were dangerous
Concerns Mount Over Nuclear Energy
27.07.07 Irregularities at nuclear reactors in Germany and Japan in recent weeks have rekindled safety fears and raised tough questions about nuclear energy amid increasing environmental concerns. Despite the recent slew of incidents at nuclear power stations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the errors in Germany, Sweden and Japan were exceptions and certainly did not pose a danger. Critics of nuclear energy, however, don't buy the argument. Henrik Paulitz of IPPNW said the recent German incidents were dangerous. more...
Meta-analysis of Baker P.J. & Hoel D.G.
Childhood leukaemia and nuclear facilities
July 2007 In response to the cluster of childhood leukaemia reported near the Sellafield nuclear site in Great Britain in 1984 there have been numerous studies assessing the possible risk of childhood leukaemia due to irradiation from nuclear sites. While many studies have found positive associations, few results have been significant. Although there is little doubt that exposure to radiation increases the risk of developing leukaemia there is disagreement as to whether the amount of exposure received by children living near nuclear sites is sufficient to increase risk.
If you want peace, work for health!
Congress Statement
10.09.2006: The 17th IPPNW World Congress took place in Helsinki, Finland from 7th to 10 September 2006. The motto of the Congress was War or Health? Themes of the congress were: nuclear abolition; small arms and the public health impact of war; and energy security. A statement was issued at the close of the congress. more...
20 years after the reactor catastrophe
Health Effects of Chernobyl
April 5, 2006 The Chernobyl catastrophe changed the world. Millions of people were made victims overnight. Gigantic stretches of land were made uninhabitable. The radioactive cloud spread all over the world. An understanding of the dangers of the use of nuclear energy grew in a countless number of minds. Even in Germany, people became sick and died due to the radiation they incorporated into their bodies through eating and breathing. An analysis of the effects of Chernobyl is massively handicapped by the number of very varying levels of facts. Essential data on the course of events of the catastrophe and its health effects are not publicly available.
Symposium in Bern, Switzerland
Health of Liquidators
November 12, 2005 The Swiss affiliate of PSR / IPPNW has held a Symposium "Health of Liquidators (Clean-up Workers), 20 Years after the Chernobyl Explosion". With the support of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Berne, they organized a scientific program, dedicated to the effects of artificial radioactive radiation in 800.000 clean-up workers, the so-called liquidators. These were mainly younger adults (mean age 33 years) who were enrolled and had to decontaminate heavily contaminated areas, close to the exploded Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Half of them were military personnel from all republics of the Soviet Union, the others were civil technicians, miners, pilots, drivers, healthy young men and also women.
2007 «KiKK» Study
IPPNW Physicians Issue Warning
11.01.2008 «Young children develop cancer more frequently when they live near nuclear power plants (NPP). It has to be assumed that radioactive emissions from NPP stacks are indeed not as harmless as previously believed. Now it is time to act.» more...
German study
More Childhood Cancer Near Nuclear Power Plants
08/12/2007 The german section of IPPNW has initiated a study, which approves that children under the age of five living near nuclear power stations have contracted cancer at a greatly higher rate than the national average. The study was paid for by the German Federal Radiation Protection Agency (BfS) the government's main adviser on nuclear health. It was conducted by the German Register of Child Cancer, an office in Mainz which is funded by the 16 German states and the federal Health Ministry. The risk of cancer increased by 60 percent for children living less than five kilometres(three miles) from a nuclear power plant, according to the study. more...
Open letter to heads of states
US-India Deal "deeply flawed"
14.08.2007 The German affiliate of IPPNW has signed a letter from the global network "Abolition 2000" asking member states of the Nuclear Suppliers Group to veto the proposed US-India nuclear deal. The signatories of the letter view the deal as "deeply flawed" and regard the consequences for the internation non-proliferation regime to be so severe, that only the next Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty should take a decision on it. more...
Sign the e-card at www.iaea.ippnw.de
IPPNW launches worldwide e-Card Campaign
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was founded on July 29th, 1957. On the occasion of this 50th anniversary IPPNW-Germany has created an electronic birthday card to the IAEA that criticizes the agency's role in promoting so-called peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The e-card can be viewed, personalized, and signed at www.iaea.ippnw.de. According to its founding statute, the aim of the IAEA is to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation while, at the same time, enlarging the peaceful use of nuclear energy. IPPNW believes that this is a self-contradictory mission. more...
Looking back to go forwards
Chernobyl
Hardly noticed by the public, the Chernobyl Forum of the United Nations was founded in 2003 as a strong-man act. On 6 and 7 September 2005, the results of its working groups were presented at a conference organised by the IAEA in Vienna. The purpose of this complex co-operation over several years was to formulate official versions with regard to the twentieth anniversary of the disaster on the highest possible level, namely that of UN organisations and governments, to conclude all research projects about Chernobyl and to propagate the thesis that the main problem of the region was poverty, not the Chernobyl disaster.
Solange Fernex has died
She remains with us
Solange Fernex, a French pacifist and politician born in 1934 and resident in Biederthal (Alsace), died of cancer on 11 September at around 3pm. After living through some difficult stages and a recent short remission, she slipped away gently. more...
Press Release by IPPNW Germany
Only 50 deaths caused by Chernobyl?
April 6, 2006 A report published today by the physician's organisation IPPNW in Germany and the German Society for Radiation Protection contradicts the claim by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that less than 50 people died as a result of the accident at Chernobyl (see IAEA press release of September 5th 2005). The facts presented by Dr. Sebastian Pflugbeil, President of the German Society for Radiation Protection, show that the IAEA figures contain serious inconsistencies. more...
IPPNW calls vor independent research
Revoke the IAEO-WHO agreement
September 5, 2005 On the occasion of the UN Chernobyl Forum from September 6 to 7 in Vienna on the effects of the reactor meltdown on the environment and health, IPPNW Germany demands the revocation of the agreement between WHO and IAEA of May 28 1959. This agreement ensures the proponents of nuclear energy and physicists in IAEA control over research programmes, their results and publications of WHO physicians that cover the health effects of the civilian use of nuclear energy and ensuing accidents. more...
