2023 Volume 16 Issue 2 Pages 74-81
In Japan, there are fears of enormous damage from large-scale disasters such as the Nankai Trough earthquake, which is predicted to occur with high probability in the future, an earthquake directly under the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the eruption of Mt. Fuji. In addition, there are concerns about the shortage of manpower for disaster prevention and support in such large-scale disasters in Japan where is the society with super low birthrate, aging, declining population and single-person progressing day by day.
The scope of disaster medicine in Japan is changing with each disaster. Currently, disaster medicine in Japan provides not only acute phase medical care but also deals with chronic phase disaster-related deaths such as earthquake-related deaths, for which interprofessional collaboration and disaster support by diverse people collaboration are required.
On the other hand, current Japanese disaster countermeasures laws and acts, on-site Health, Medical Care and Welfare Coordination Headquarters is established under on-site Disaster Management Headquarters, limit disaster medical activities as determined by the Japanese government to those who have obtained national licenses for medical care in Japan. Traditional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine practitioners who are not licensed by the Japanese government to provide medical care are not allowed to engage in such disaster medical activities.
It is desirable that integrative health practitioners also acquire the minimum necessary knowledge and manners for disaster prevention and support as local residents of a municipality in preparation for such large-scale disasters. This will help each integrative health practitioner to survive a disaster in the municipalities that will be affected, and also help them to develop a foundation for future social implementation of disaster support utilizing integrative health through interprofessional collaboration with disaster prevention and disaster medicine professionals and diverse people in collaboration in local communities.
