This editorial examined the enduring ties between medicine and political power, highlighting how the World Medical Association (WMA) arose in response to recurring ethical crises involving physicians. Created after the Second World War alongside new international institutions, the WMA aimed to protect professional autonomy and defend medical neutrality. Over the decades, it has acted as an ethical counterbalance within global health governance, especially through collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). Yet history shows that political pressures have repeatedly compromised medical practice, generating dual-loyalty dilemmas, human rights violations, and scandals that erode public trust. The WMA has sometimes responded firmly—suspending national associations, issuing statements during conflicts, or challenging unethical state policies—though its actual influence remains contested. Internal political divisions have often slowed or limited its actions. Today’s (ie, mid-March 2026) severe degradation of health systems in conflict zones reinforces the need to renew core ethical principles through collective responsibility and vigilance.