Public health after a nuclear disaster: beyond radiation risks

Public health after a nuclear disaster: beyond radiation risks Claire Leppold, Tetsuya Tanimoto & Masaharu Tsubokura a Department of Research, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, 975-0033, Japan. b Department of Internal Medicine, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan. c Department of Radiation Protection, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan. Correspondence to Claire Leppold (email: [email protected]). (Submitted: 14 December 2015 – Revised version received: 4 March 2016 – Accepted: 23 June 2016 – Published online: 30 August 2016) In the five years since Japan’s triple disaster there has been a growth of media coverage and public interest in disaster recovery. An earthquake in March 2011 triggered a tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to loss of the plant’s core cooling capacities, followed by hydrogen explosions and subsequent radiation leakage. The nuclear accident is often discussed, both within Japan and abroad, from a perspective of radiation leakage – as would be expected in the aftermath of such an accident. Yet this has led to confusion about the importance of radiation risks, due to conflicting reports and a lack of awareness of ongoing problems that are unrelated to radiation. These misunderstandings deserve attention. This paper provides a brief review on post-disaster health in Fukushima prefecture, highlighting areas in need of further recognition by medical professionals and policy-makers, including the risks faced by one vulnerable population: the elderly.