Allergy management during disasters

Abstract

In recent years, Japan has experienced a high frequency of disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Patients with allergic diseases are considered "people requiring special consideration" and need special care in shelters during disasters. Based on this, the government has implemented various measures. However, many challenges remain in practical operations. These include insufficient stockpiles of allergy-friendly foods, a lack of established methods for sharing supply information and distributing goods, inadequate tracking of evacuated patients, and poor coordination both within government departments and between the government and aid organizations.

Self-help from patients is also a challenge. Many households do not have enough food stockpiled for the recommended period, and preparation of tools to show allergy information, such as copies of their medication notebooks, is not progressing. Medical professionals point to the difficulty of gathering information on affected patients and a shortage of allergy specialists.

It is crucial for us, as allergy specialists, to be prepared on a daily basis. This includes ensuring patients' diseases are well-controlled, promoting self-help awareness, providing guidance on disaster response, understanding the regional disaster prevention system, collaborating with related organizations, and creating disaster response manuals.