title: Public health activities for mitigation of radiation exposures and risk communication challenges after the Fukushima nuclear accident.
abstract: Herein we summarize the public health actions taken to mitigate exposure of the public to radiation after the Fukushima accident that occurred on 11 March 2011 in order to record valuable lessons learned for disaster preparedness. Evacuations from the radiation-affected areas and control of the distribution of various food products contributed to the reduction of external and internal radiation exposure resulting from the Fukushima incident. However, risk communication is also an important issue during the emergency response effort and subsequent phases of dealiing with a nuclear disaster. To assist with their healing process, sound, reliable scientific information should continue to be disseminated to the radiation-affected communities via two-way communication. We will describe the essential public health actions following a nuclear disaster for the early, intermediate and late phases that will be useful for radiological preparedness planning in response to other nuclear or radiological disasters.
authors: Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0197, Japan tsimura@niph.go.jp.
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Shimura
authors: Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0197, Japan.
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0197, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Terada
authors: Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Robert Svendsen
authors: Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0197, Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Kunugita
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D007564:Japan; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000379:methods*; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Fukushima; disaster preparation; nuclear disaster; public health; radiation exposure; risk communication