Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1953, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower opined that reversing the trend of atomic military build-up could be developed into a boon for the benefit of mankind. During the speech, he announced the intent to form the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), within the purview of the United Nations (UN) to allocate and devise methods to use the fissionable material for peaceful uses. Nuclear Weapons, one among the trio often termed as ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ owing to their destructive capacity have continued to be a primary concern and threat to humanity. In this regard, to promote awareness and understanding among the public, the UN observes 5th March as the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness. The UN resolution A/RES/77/51 thus aims to involve civil society, academia, media and the UN system to educate and contribute towards enhancing peace to curb suffering caused by the weapons.
The development in science and advances in technology are seen as means to tackle the challenges faced by humankind. However, in the years post World War II, the term ‘nuclear’, triggered fear due to the destruction caused by the bombing and the heightened arms races among the two blocks. The increased focus on weaponization of the nuclear technology instilled geopolitical tensions with scientific research and development at the heart of it. To mitigate potential nuclear wars, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was formulated by the international community, with the objectives of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and aiding nuclear disarmament. Entering into the force in 1970, 191 states have joined the NPT making it one of the most ratified arms limitation agreements. The estimated nuclear stockpile has since been reduced to around 12,500 from an arsenal of over 70,000 during the Cold War. Figure 1 depicts the distribution of the nuclear arsenal and the status of deployment as of 2023 among the nuclear powers.
Figure 1: Estimated nuclear warhead inventories in 2023
Data Source: Federation of American Scientists (2023)
After the NPT came into force, international cooperation on the diverse uses of nuclear technology has increased. The IAEA has played a vital role on the international stage advancing innovation and international cooperation for the effective application in multiple fields such as health, water management, food security, and most importantly as an alternative source of energy. It along with other nuclear powers has been proactive in utilizing nuclear technology to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Figure 2). For instance, the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) has been crucial in developing laboratories to detect and eradicate diseases among livestock in Africa, in addition to enhancing food quality and crop yields by reducing threats such as insect attacks on farms (SDG 2). Similarly, to ensure access to clean and safe potable water, isotopic technologies have been employed (SDG 6). As part of SDG 13, nuclear technology is further employed to monitor and collect data on atmospheric changes and climate changes in addition to the promotion of nuclear energy as a low-carbon energy source.
Atoms and Health
The atomic bombings during World War II provided case studies in understanding the impact of nuclear warfare on health. Among the survivors, the destruction of skin layers due to harmful rays, exudation of blood serum, severe dehydration, the inability of the intestines to absorb water and leukaemia were commonly reported. In addition to these physical impacts, the survivors were also seen suffering from psychological instability, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as per the studies conducted in the 1990s. Nuclear weapons are also known for inflicting negative health impacts due to radiation exposure. Associated activities like production, testing and waste storage and disposal have ionising radiation leading to acute as well as long-term illnesses with intergenerational health effects.
Figure 2: Nuclear Technology and SDGs
While nuclear weapons and their associated activities trigger the fear of health disasters, the technology can also be applied to address the needs of preventing, diagnosing, and treating health conditions. The field of nuclear medicines utilizes techniques such as radionuclides for staging, therapy and monitoring diseases. The elements describing nuclear elements include problems, radiopharmaceutical and instrumentation. Hence, nuclear technology plays a critical role in addressing SDG 3, as the application of the technology also helps in detecting infectious and zoonotic diseases. This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when the real-time Time Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction (real-time RT–PCR), which is a nuclear-derived method was used by multiple states for detecting the virus.
Branch of nuclear medicine, despite proving to be a useful innovation in ensuring early diagnosis of several lethal diseases, there exists a discrepancy in access to the techniques among the states. For example, while nuclear medicine and technology have been effective in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients in developed countries, the lack of access, affordability, and knowledge of these in the developing world contributes to health inequity. Additionally, the availability of radioisotopes and kits is a challenge for multiple countries which are dependent on imports. The bureaucratic delays, customs clearance, and transportation costs tend to increase the cost of treatment to the patients. Furthermore, the studies conducted by the IAEA found that many developing countries were using gamma cameras that were as old as 30 years. The use of such aged equipment could lead to sub-optimal functioning and finding spares for worn-out parts would be difficult due to the discontinuation of production.
While safety from nuclear radiation is a global challenge, many developing countries lack the monitoring of radiation by government agencies found in advanced economies. Another concern affecting the practice of nuclear medicine in developing countries is the dearth of facilities for disposing of radioactive waste. While in developed countries the spent radionuclide generators are recycled, in contrast, it is accumulated and sent back to the manufacturer in the case of developing countries. The capital-intensive nature of shipping these materials due to regulated and specified packaging, increases the cost of nuclear medicines. Hence, overcoming these challenges is key to expanding the nuclear medicine practice and making it responsive to emerging needs to ensure effective disease management.
Way forward and Conclusion
The advancement in nuclear energy and technology provides crucial leverage needed for improving human welfare, particularly in the efforts of developing economies towards the SDGs. The enhancement of peaceful uses by strengthening the NPT and international cooperation is key for the effective utilization of the development in the field. There is a need for an increased commitment from the nuclear states to play a vital role in knowledge sharing, expertise and technology with less developed countries. For instance, despite nuclear energy contributing towards energy security and helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many of the developing countries lack the required technology as depicted in Figure 3.
Figure 3: States with Active Nuclear Reactors
Data Source: Nuclear power around the world
The multilateral organisations such as the IAEA also need to facilitate operational and technological barriers to developing countries as most of them are currently dependent on states like the UK, USA, France, Russia, and China for reactor design licensing. Similarly, in the field of nuclear medicine, regular replacement of nuclear instruments through government support and multilateral funding is beneficial. Further, enhancing the capacity locally for first-line and preventive maintenance of the equipment through cooperative training helps in curtailing equipment downtime and improves access to healthcare.
The total elimination of nuclear weapons has been on the to-do list of the international community for more than six decades. Despite the then-existing nuclear powers having agreed upon nuclear disarmament, the nuclear arsenal has continued to be a threat at the global scale. The possession of these lethal weapons is still seen as a symbol of strength and power. However, its negative impacts are beyond the geographical borders and the notions of a nation-state with effects on the environment, economy, and commerce. Thus, it is important to understand and attend to the complex and interlinked array of issues associated with nuclear weapons through national, bilateral, regional, and global commitments and actions.
[Image by Bagoes Ilhamy from Pixabay]
*Kiran Bhatt is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Diplomacy, Department of Global Health Governance, Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Manipal Karnataka India.
*Aniruddha Inamdar is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Diplomacy, Department of Global Health Governance, Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors.
