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Can war be treated like an infectious disease? This expert thinks so

Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli military strike on a target next to a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, March, 25, 2026. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli military strike on a target next to a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, March, 25, 2026. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

As war convulses the Middle East, Ukraine, as well as parts of Asia and Africa, epidemiologist and violence disruptor Gary Slutkin says perpetual cycles of violence are not inevitable.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Slutkin about his forthcoming book, “The End of Violence,” and why we should seek to contain and even eradicate war as we would an infectious disease outbreak.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom