The UN health body updates list of medicines health services should have at hand in case of ‘radiological and nuclear emergencies’
The new guidelines consider scenarios including ‘intentional uses of radioactive materials with malicious intent’ CREDIT: Shutterstock
The World Health Organization has given new advice on stockpiling medicines to treat radiation sickness, amid worries the Ukraine war could result in a nuclear emergency.
The United Nations health body updated its 15-year-old list of medicines health services should have at hand in case of “radiological and nuclear emergencies”.
Fighting or artillery barrages around the country’s nuclear power plants have raised the prospect of battle damage that would trigger a leak of radiation.
Vladimir Putin in October also claimed Ukraine was preparing to detonate a low-yield radioactive “dirty bomb” on its own territory. His claims led Kyiv and other western observers to speculate the Russian leader may have been preparing a “false flag” attack of his own.
In extreme scenarios, military analysts worry whether Russia could escalate into the use of tactical nuclear weapons as it continues to face battlefield losses.
The new guidelines consider scenarios including “radiological or nuclear emergencies at nuclear power plants” and “intentional uses of radioactive materials with malicious intent”.
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