Guide to Living in Hiroshima Chapter 1 Health, Medical Care and Welfare

The Hiroshima Prefectural Government is striving to create an environment where foreign
residents can receive preventive healthcare as well as health and medical services more easily, so thatthey can live with peace of mind in Hiroshima.

1HealthWe are working to disseminate to foreign residents information regarding health checkups,
vaccinations, issuance of the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, and health and hygiene. We
also make efforts to disseminate knowledge about infectious diseases in foreign languages (viapamphlets in foreign languages) and improve health consultation systems.

(1) Maternal and Child Health Handbook, Prenatal Checkups/Infant Medical Examinations
When you find out that you are pregnant, submit a pregnancy notification to the municipal
government office of your residence to receive a Maternal and Child Health Handbook. This
handbook is designed to keep in a single notebook all important health records of a mother andher baby beginning during pregnancy.
The handbook has a section for recording the results of regular prenatal checkups, whichmonitor how the pregnancy is proceeding to ensure a healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth. It
also has a section for recording the child’s health, results of infant health checkups, andvaccination information from birth until the child enters elementary school. The handbook also
contains helpful information about childbirth and child care.
Prenatal check-ups and infant medical examinations are subsidized by municipalities; youcan receive them for free or at a discount by using coupons issued by the municipality of yourresidence.
For details, contact your municipal government office.

Contact

Municipal government office(Maternal and Child HealthCenter)
https://live-in-hiroshima.jp/boshihokensoudan/

6暮らしの手引き広島 第１章 保健・医療・福祉(2) Vaccinations
Vaccinations are divided into two categories: routine and voluntary. Routine vaccinations
are mandatory by law and the number of doses and age of administration, etc. thereof arespecified, while voluntary vaccinations are those that are given on a voluntary basis.
(As of January, 2021)
Routine vaccinations
Targetdiseases

Voluntary vaccinations

Diphtheria, whooping cough, acute poliomyelitis Otherthanroutine(polio), measles, rubella, Japanese encephalitis, vaccinations
tetanus, tuberculosis, haemophilus influenza  Note that if you receive atype b (Hib), pneumococcus (infants andelderly),humanpapillomavirus(HPV),
chickenpox, hepatitis B, seasonal influenza

routine vaccination outside
the recommended age
range, it will be treated as(elderly)

a voluntary vaccination.

Routine vaccinations are carried out by municipal governments. You can receive subsidies
for routine vaccinations.
In Japan, there is a vaccine injury compensation program to compensate people found tohave incurred injury from certain routine vaccines.
For details, contact the vaccination section of your municipal government office.

Contact

Municipal government office《Vaccination Section》(3) Prevention of Infectious Diseases
For the most up-to-date information about influenza (issuance of influenza epidemic
warnings and alerts) and infectious diseases requiring urgent attention, visit the “Hiroshima
Prefectural Center for Disease Control and Prevention” section on the Hiroshima Prefectural
Government website.

Contact

Hiroshima Prefectural Center for Disease Control andPrevention(https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/hcdc/)
Health Center (Branch), City Health Center

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Guide to Living in Hiroshima Chapter 1 Health, Medical Care and Welfare(4) Health Checkups
Regular health checkups are important to prevent and detect lifestyle-related diseases suchas heart disease and stroke early. Health checkups and healthcare guidance are provided atmunicipal group health checkup sites and medical institutions.
The amount of copayment for health checkups varies depending on the health insurance
program.
For details, contact your health insurance provider.
Eligible
persons

Specialized health checkup(Tokutei Kenko Shinsa)

Those enrolled in healthinsurance, between the ages of 40
and 74

Health checkup (Kenko Shinsa)

Those aged 75 or older* There is a system whereby those aged 40 or older who are not enrolled in health insurance, and those aged
under 40 can receive similar health checkups.

Eligible persons

Contact

・ Those enrolled in National Health
Insurance (excluding the National HealthMunicipal government office
Insurance Society)・ Those not enrolled in health insurance
・ Those enrolled in health insurance other Health insurance provider
than National Health Insurance(written on your health insurance card)(5) Cancer Checkup◇◇Cancer checkups recommended by Hiroshima Prefecture◇◇

Breast cancer screening(mammography)

Lung cancer
screening

During mammography, the breast iscompressed for a few seconds. Somewomenfind
itpainful,but
mammography is a safe, low-dose
X-ray exam to detect breast cancer
early. Women aged 40 or older
Targets

One or two chest X-ray photographs
are taken. (*)

Targets

Men and women aged

40 or older(once every two years)(once a year)

Stomach cancer
screening
X-rays of the stomach are taken after
drinking a barium solution, which blocks
the X-rays, or an endoscopy is performed
to see inside the stomach directly.
Targets Men and women aged 50 orolder (once every two years)

Large intestinal cancer screening
A stool test is performed to check for blood in the stool. It is aneasy and quick procedure. You only need to collect your stool
sample in a container and submit it to your doctor.
Targets Men and women aged 40 or older (once a year)

Cervical cancer screening
A small sample of cells is taken from thecervix and examined under a microscope.
Aplicantes

Women aged 20 or older (once every two years)* In a thorough physical examination, a lung CT test may be performed.

8暮らしの手引き広島 第１章 保健・医療・福祉

You are advised to receive cancer screening conducted by your workplace or municipality
periodically (once a year or every two years).
・ Many cancers are curable if detected and treated early.
・ If you wish to receive cancer screening, contact your workplace or municipal government
office.
(If your workplace does not provide cancer screening services, you can receive cancer
screening conducted by your municipality.)

Contact

Municipal government office<<Section in charge of cancer screening services>>(6) Screening for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (newborn mass screening)
Newborns may have congenital disorders that can affect their healthy development, such as
inborn errors of metabolism, which is characterized by the deficiency of certain enzymes, andhormonal secretion abnormality.
Failure to treat such disorders properly may result in delays in the physical and mental
growth and development of the child, or may threaten the child’s life, depending on thedisorder. However, if these disorders are identified early and properly treated, it is possible toprevent the occurrence of disability, etc.
At the medical institution where you gave birth, 5-7 days after birth, they will take small
blood samples from the bottom of your baby’s foot and a specialized testing facility will
perform tests. Aforementioned tests will be free of charge, but the cost of blood sampling(about 3,000-4,000 yen) will be billed to you.
After the tests are completed, if it is determined that a more thorough examination ortreatment is necessary, the medical institution which performed the tests will contact you, so
please get a thorough checkup as soon as possible.
For details, contact the section in charge of maternal & child health services of the publichealth center (branch) of your residence.

Contact

Health Center (Branch)
Hiroshima City, Kure City, Fukuyama City: City Hall<<Maternal and Child Health Center>>
https://live-in-hiroshima.jp/boshihokensoudan/

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