International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

The World Medical Association: The Voice of Physicians in the Turbulence Between Ethical Rigor and Geopolitical Imperatives

Document Type : Editorial

Authors
Meriem Gaddas 1, 2, 3
Helmi Ben Saad 1, 2, 3
1 Research Laboratory LR12SP09 ‘Heart Failure,’ Farhat HACHED University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
2 Department of Physiology and Functional Explorations, Farhat HACHED University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
3 Faculty of Medicine ‘Ibn el Jazzar’ of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
10.34172/ijhpm.9649
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Bioethics
Gaza
Genocide
Humanitarian Crises
Medical Accountability
WMA
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 15, Issue 1
2026
Pages 1-7

  • Received Date 02 December 2025
  • Revised Date 10 March 2026
  • Accepted Date 12 June 2026
  • First Published Date 13 June 2026
  • Published Date 01 December 2026