World Medical Association

international organization

Also known as: WMA

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Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

The World Medical Association (WMA) is an international organization founded in 1947 that promotes high standards in medical education, practice, science, and ethics. It also works to protect the interests of its physician members. The WMA is the largest such organization, with over 60 member associations.1

A key contribution of the WMA is the Declaration of Helsinki, first adopted in 1964. This declaration provides ethical principles to guide the protection of human participants in medical research. While not legally binding, it has influenced laws and international guidelines worldwide. The Declaration of Helsinki has been revised multiple times to address evolving ethical considerations in medical research.2

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Declaration of Helsinki
…ethical principles published by the World Medical Association (WMA) to guide the protection of human participants in medical research. The Declaration of Helsinki was adopted in 1964 by the 18th WMA General Assembly, at Helsinki. Although not without its controversies, it has served as the standard in medical research ethics.
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…ethical principles published by the World Medical Association (WMA) to guide the protection of human participants in medical research. The Declaration of Helsinki was adopted in 1964 by the 18th WMA General Assembly, at Helsinki. Although not without its controversies, it has served as the standard in medical research ethics.
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medical association
…largest such organization is the World Medical Association, which has more than 60 member associations. It was founded in 1947.
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…largest such organization is the World Medical Association, which has more than 60 member associations. It was founded in 1947.
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placebo effect
The World Medical Association’s (WMA’s) Declaration of Helsinki, which provides a set of ethical guidelines for medical experimentation on humans, traditionally prohibited the use of placebos in trials when effective therapies or interventions already existed. In 2001, however, the WMA revised its guidelines to allow placebo-controlled…
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The World Medical Association’s (WMA’s) Declaration of Helsinki, which provides a set of ethical guidelines for medical experimentation on humans, traditionally prohibited the use of placebos in trials when effective therapies or interventions already existed. In 2001, however, the WMA revised its guidelines to allow placebo-controlled…
Read More