Curb biological weapons - Say Brit Doctors

Curb biological weapons - doctors Oct 25 2004


The British Medical Association is to call for international action to curb advancements in the development of biological and genetic weapons.

More than five years since the BMA first examined the issue, it will launch its follow up report; Biotechnology, Weapons and Humanity II.

Its first report in January 1999 said there was a window of opportunity to tackle the spread of biological and genetic weapons - the report is expected to say that window is shrinking fast.

The new report also looks at how the increase in Terrorism in the world in the past five years has impacted on the development of these weapons.

It will be launched at the head office of the BMA, the professional association of doctors, in central London.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of BMA Science and Ethics; Professor Malcolm Dando, the author of the report and head of Peace Studies at Bradford University; and Dr Sandra Bell, from the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, will be among the speakers.

The BMA's first report on the issue called for the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to stop the spread of biological and chemical weapons to be strengthened.

It said rapid advances in genetics could make terrifying "ethnic cleansing" weapons a reality within 10 years

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