Roles and Activities of International Organizations after the Fukushima Accident

Abstract

After the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, overseas experts and representatives of international organizations visited Japan to provide advice, technical support, and resources. Several international meetings on radiological protection and health issues have since been held in Fukushima to provide further advice. The content discussed has changed alongside local developments in health-related issues from radiation health effects and radiological protection to risk communication and psychological, public health, and social issues. The support of international organizations and experts has been valuable in implementing public health and support programs in Fukushima. The Fukushima accident showed that after a nuclear accident, authorities need to balance the risks of radiation with other health effects and develop programs to mitigate the overall effects on health (whole-health management), but there was little evidence of the importance of this at the time. Future research should examine international collaboration to assess this.