Medical Association for Prevention of War

We're a national association of health professionals, working for health by working for peace.

MAPW members are part of a global movement.

Because the effects of war are so profound, prevention is key.

Conflict plays a significant direct and indirect role in the transmission and propagation of infectious diseases, and dramatically increases the burden of non-communicable diseases.

And even before conflict breaks out, harm is caused to people and societies by the social, economic, and political conditions that enable or normalise war.

Health professionals are uniquely equipped to prevent war, promote the prevention of war-related disease, and to address the underlying conditions that enable conflict.

Health professionals’ core values, ethics, skills, and obligations – along with their trusted position in society – make them powerful advocates for peace. 

Advocacy is a core competency in medicine and public health; advocacy on the fundamental determinates of health, like peace, has a proud global tradition.

Advocacy for peace means promoting alternatives to conflict, as well as opposing structures and cultures that normalise it

MAPW members come from every field of health, and share a big vision: a peaceful world with health for all.

Join the movement today.

Campaigns for Change

We work for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Our goal is for Australia to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

We draw the connections between climate change and militarism, and campaign on the issue of military greenhouse gas emissions

We advocate for policies that promote peace and prevent harm. We work to oppose the AUKUS agreement, the acquisition of naval nuclear power and to promote  demilitarisation, disarmament, and diplomacy.

We promote peace with justice, and work to uphold human rights, international laws, and principles of human security. We advocate for the lawful protection of civilians and healthcare in Palestine, Ukraine,  West Papua and beyond. 

Our Impact

We've been changing policy, practice, and perception for more than forty years.

MAPW is the founder of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, ICAN, and the Australian affiliate of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, IPPNW. 

We’ve been instrumental in the development of treaties on nuclear weapons, landmines, and cluster munitions; we’re part of global efforts to ban lethal autonomous weapons.

We provide medical evidence on nuclear power, nuclear waste, and key defence and foreign policy issues. We stand up for whistleblowers and victims of war, and show the connections between climate crisis and militarism.

We change policies to protect children from harmful influence, and to move money from the nuclear weapons industry. Our work brings national attention to the harms of the global weapons industry

We work for peace and health for all.

Power our work for Peace

The world is over-armed and peace is underfunded. 

MAPW is powered by members and donors with a vision for a peaceful, healthy world for all. We don’t take money from vested interests and are proudly non-partisan, guided by values rooted in medical ethics and humanitarian principles. Support our work for peace with a donation today.

SKR Member

MAPW is a proud member and partner of leading global organisations ICAN, Stop Killer Robots, ICBL and the CMC.