<Preface>Lessons learned on public health from theFukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
Tsutomu Shimura, Naoki Kunugita
Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health
It has been seven years since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident that occurred on the
11th of March 2011. A large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment from thedamaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Health risks associated with exposure to low levels ofionizing radiation are a major concern following the Fukushima accident. In order to inform the public healthissues due to the Fukushima accident, we have previously published two special issues in this Journal (Healtheffects of low-dose ionizing radiation and radionuclide, and risk communication on Aug. 2011 and Risk
communication for existing exposure situation after the nuclear disaster on Apr. 2013) in Japanese.
International organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that increased risk of disease associated with radiation exposure
regarding the Fukushima accident will not be expected because of limited radiation exposure among thepublic. Although the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)
indicated a possibility that the risk of thyroid cancer among those children most exposed to radiation could
increase, the committee mentioned that the likelihood of a large number of radiation-induced thyroidcancers in Fukushima Prefecture could be discounted because absorbed doses to the thyroid after theFukushima accident were substantially lower than those of the Chernobyl accident.
Furthermore, various domestic and overseas researches contributed to provide reliable scientificevidences in relation to the effects of human health due to the nuclear disaster. However, radiation isinvisible to the human eye. Fear of radiation exposure causes mental health problem after the Fukushima
accident, as was reported with the Chernobyl accident. So far, serious concerns due to the Fukushima
accident still remain. Herein we summarize public health actions including both good practices andproblems to be solved after the Fukushima incident in order to provide valuable lessons learned for disaster
preparedness.
We will start by describing the Basic Survey for external dose estimation and internal dose assessmentsof Fukushima residents. In the early phase after the disaster, evacuations from the radiation affectedareas and control of the distribution of various food products were critical public health actions to mitigate
radiation exposure. In order to care for radiation workers in the Fukushima accident and the generalpublic in Fukushima prefecture, a health management program was implemented in the subsequent phase.
The Fukushima Health Management Survey consists of the Thyroid Ultrasound Examination, Mental
Health and Lifestyle Survey and Pregnancy and Birth Survey for resident of Fukushima Prefecture. Risk
communication is an important issue during the recovery phases to deal with difficult situations. We also
discussed about science communication and current studies on media analysis concerning the Fukushima
accident. We will provide the knowledge of radiation biology and disaster epidemiology associated withhuman health.
The aim of this special issue is to help understanding the current situation in the Fukushima accident.
Many public health actions need to be considered in order to best protect the health of the affected
populations. The information described in this issue will be useful not only for radiation specialists but also
for public health workers in the world.

J. Natl. Inst. Public Health, 67 (1) : 20181