IPPNW North Asia conference opens in Hiroshima with desire to hand down medical knowledge of A-bomb survivors
Mar. 10, 2016
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
The North Asia Regional Conference of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) opened at the building of the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association on February 27. During the two-day conference, about 150 medical doctors from Japan, Mongolia, and the United States will share knowledge of the inhumane suffering caused by the atomic bombings and medical treatment for radiation exposure and will strengthen their cooperation to advance the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Keiichi Hiramatsu, who serves as the president of the Japan branch of the IPPNW as well as the president of the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association, delivered a speech during the opening ceremony. Dr. Hiramatsu stated that knowledge obtained through the medical care of A-bomb survivors should be passed on to the next generation. A symposium was held on the theme of how the knowledge gained in Hiroshima through the treatment of A-bomb survivors should be utilized around the world. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the Radiation-exposed (HICARE), a local organization comprised of Hiroshima prefectural government, the Hiroshima municipal government, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), and other institutions.
In the keynote speech, Fred Mettler, a radiology specialist and professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico, explained the risk of cancer in those exposed to radiation. Dr. Mettler showed cases in which solid cancers increased after the white blood cell counts rose, saying that the data could be useful in determining the kinds of examinations that should be pursued in connection with the nuclear accident in Fukushima. In a case report, Kazunori Kodama, the chief scientist at RERF, made a presentation on the training programs that HICARE has been conducting since its establishment in 1991. The organization has provided training to more than 1,300 doctors from 20 countries. Kenji Kamiya, the vice president of Hiroshima University, described a human resource development program for the reconstruction of communities damaged by nuclear disasters.
On February 28, the participants will discuss issues related to nuclear weapon-free zones and other topics. The conference will then close after adopting the Hiroshima Declaration. First held in 1997, the IPPNW North Asia Regional Conference seeks to promote mutual understanding among Japan, China, South Korea, North Korea, and Mongolia. This is the ninth such conference and the first held in Hiroshima since 2009.
(Originally published on February 28, 2016)
The North Asia Regional Conference of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) opened at the building of the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association on February 27. During the two-day conference, about 150 medical doctors from Japan, Mongolia, and the United States will share knowledge of the inhumane suffering caused by the atomic bombings and medical treatment for radiation exposure and will strengthen their cooperation to advance the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Keiichi Hiramatsu, who serves as the president of the Japan branch of the IPPNW as well as the president of the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical Association, delivered a speech during the opening ceremony. Dr. Hiramatsu stated that knowledge obtained through the medical care of A-bomb survivors should be passed on to the next generation. A symposium was held on the theme of how the knowledge gained in Hiroshima through the treatment of A-bomb survivors should be utilized around the world. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the Radiation-exposed (HICARE), a local organization comprised of Hiroshima prefectural government, the Hiroshima municipal government, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), and other institutions.
In the keynote speech, Fred Mettler, a radiology specialist and professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico, explained the risk of cancer in those exposed to radiation. Dr. Mettler showed cases in which solid cancers increased after the white blood cell counts rose, saying that the data could be useful in determining the kinds of examinations that should be pursued in connection with the nuclear accident in Fukushima. In a case report, Kazunori Kodama, the chief scientist at RERF, made a presentation on the training programs that HICARE has been conducting since its establishment in 1991. The organization has provided training to more than 1,300 doctors from 20 countries. Kenji Kamiya, the vice president of Hiroshima University, described a human resource development program for the reconstruction of communities damaged by nuclear disasters.
On February 28, the participants will discuss issues related to nuclear weapon-free zones and other topics. The conference will then close after adopting the Hiroshima Declaration. First held in 1997, the IPPNW North Asia Regional Conference seeks to promote mutual understanding among Japan, China, South Korea, North Korea, and Mongolia. This is the ninth such conference and the first held in Hiroshima since 2009.
(Originally published on February 28, 2016)
