A group of 68 scientists, including medical professionals and researchers, some of them from Tamil Nadu, have appealed for an end to the war in Ukraine. They have called for better governance for the sake of global health diplomacy.
The scientists are led by S.R. Pandi Perumal, a sleep specialist from Tirunelveli, now based in Canada. They have published an editorial in Sleep and Vigilance, an international journal of basic, translational and clinical research, emphasising the need to end the war.
Dr. Pandi, the first author, said war impacts the economic well being of the warring nations but also has a catastrophic influence on the mental health of people. “We are witnessing a catastrophe of giant proportions,” he said in the editorial published in the recent edition of the journal .
The editorial blames politicians and the media for spreading disinformation and sowing chaos in Ukraine.
“We want the war to end and are not taking sides with any warring nation. Even if war were to end today its impact on mental health will last another 10-15 years,” Dr. Pandi said. “Migrations due to war lead to mental health issues, especially among children, the elderly, the destitute and the disabled. Who is going to pay for the burden of the mental health issues? It will have a domino effect globally.”
“Our argument is that we, as scientists, want our voice heard and to prevent mental health issues that could arise from this,” Dr. Pandi explained.
C. Ramasubramanian, senior psychiatrist and member of the Police Commission who practises in Madurai and who is also involved in the research, said the type of war and the mode of weapons used are “totally different” from the wars of the 20th Century and many nations are extremely cautious by maintaining restraint. Yet a threat of nuclear war hangs in the air.
“Any war will affect the entire globe, spread anxiety, apprehension, uncertainty in people’s mind across the globe. A war will have an adverse effect on the economy and will also indirectly cause stress that will lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. The long-term impact is that unaddressed stress disorders could lead to depression and loss of productivity. Such people will become a burden to society,” he said.
The scientists expressed the hope that India would exercise its influence to end the war at the earliest.
