The SHAMISEN Project: Challenging historical recommendations for preparedness, response and surveillance of health and well-being in case of nuclear accidents: Lessons learnt from Chernobyl and Fukushima

Experience suggests that current nuclear accident response planning in European countries mostly has a technical focus, with less attention paid to social, psychological and ethical issues. Information provided tends to be directed towards decisions made by experts, rather than for the support of af...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ohba, Takashi; Liutsko, Liudmila; Schneider, Thierry; Barquinero, Joan Francesc; Crouaïl, Pascal; Fattibene, Paola; Kesminiene, Ausrele; Laurier, Dominique; Sarukhan, Adelaida; Skuterud, Lavrans; Tanigawa, Koichi; Tomkiv, Yevgeniya; Cardis, Elisabeth
Format: Article
Status:Published version
Publication date:2021
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/53046
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/53046
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106200
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Dose assessment
Evacuation
Health surveillance
Nuclear accidents
Physical and mental health
Recommendations
Description
Summary:Experience suggests that current nuclear accident response planning in European countries mostly has a technical focus, with less attention paid to social, psychological and ethical issues. Information provided tends to be directed towards decisions made by experts, rather than for the support of affected populations. The SHAMISEN (Nuclear Emergency Situations - Improvement of Medical And Health Surveillance) consortium, composed of close to 50 experts from 10 countries, performed a critical review of current recommendations and experiences regarding dose assessment and reconstruction, evacuation decisions, long-term health surveillance programmes and epidemiological studies. The review included case studies and lessons drawn from the living conditions and health status of populations affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents, taking an integrative approach to health and well-being. Based on this work, SHAMISEN developed a series of comprehensive recommendations aimed at improving the preparedness, response, long-term surveillance and living conditions of populations affected by past or future radiation accidents, in a manner responding to their needs, while minimising unnecessary anxiety.