The Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) calls for a ceasefire in the Ukraine and Russian conflict.
As Australia’s future medical workforce, we stand with the international medical student community and echo their calls for peace to be restored in Ukraine.

 “Every human being has the right to live in peace. War only brings pain, suffering and destruction; it violates the sanctity of life, having devastating effects on the health and wellbeing of all persons involved,” said Jasmin Somers today, the AMSA International Officer for Human Rights and Peace.

“War is a public health issue. Not only does it cause initial physical harm, but it will continue to have intergenerational consequences for the mental health and wellbeing of all those involved.“

War frequently destroys health infrastructure and affects the progress of the social determinants of health that the international community have been working hard for in recent decades,” said Jasmine Davis, President of AMSA.

AMSA has been in regular contact with the international medical student community. Both Ukrainian and Russian medical students have come forward to have their voices heard.

“Civilians, even hospitals, ambulances and schools have been targeted. Medical workers are working 24/7 and the departments are evacuated underground, even the labour ward. Thus, the children of Ukraine are born in basements,” commented a Ukrainian medical student.

In response, the Russian Medical Student Society said: “We are scared. Decisions are made for us, the money is taken from us, our men (and soon women) are forced to play foes to the whole world. We, Russians, are fully against the War!”

AMSA calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine as war poses a serious humanitarian crisis, causing mass displacement, casualties and destruction [1].

Conflict prevents safe and equitable access to healthcare, especially when healthcare facilities are the target of attacks – a transgression of International Humanitarian Law that has already been observed in the current conflict [2,3].

AMSA calls on the federal government to increase and continue its provision of medical supplies and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and support peacemaking efforts.

AMSA also calls on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide essential humanitarian services to people within the conflict zone and displaced populations.

AMSA is the peak representative body for Australia’s 17,000 medical students. AMSA International is AMSA’s branch that is associated with the International Federation of Medical Students (IFMSA). AMSA International collaborates with medical students worldwide to progress human rights and peace. 

References:

1. International Committee of the Red Cross: Global trends of war and their humanitarian impacts [Internet]. Canberra, Australia: International Committee of the Red Cross; 2018 Oct 17 [cited 2022 March]. Available from: https://www.icrc.org/en/document/global-trends-war-and-their-humanitarian-impacts-0
2. Australian Red Cross. Handbook on International Humanitarian Law Mooting [Internet]. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Red Cross. 2016 [cited 2022 March]. Available from: https://www.redcross.org.au/globalassets/cms-migration/documents/about-us/handbook-on-international-humanitarian-law-mooting.pdf
3. Human Rights Watch. Ukraine: Russian Cluster Munition Hits Hospital [Internet]. Berlin, Germany: Human Rights Watch; 2022 Feb 25 [cited 2022 March]. Available from: https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/25/ukraine-russian-cluster-munition-hits-hospital