Health – Page 3 – The Other Sociologist

Much of the world’s media was focused on the horrific disaster that followed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station meltdowns that began on the 11th of March, 2011. An estimated 130,000 people were initially evacuated and 70,000 people presently remain displaced from their homes due to radiation.

In today’s post, I look at the social policy conditions that exacerbated the effects of the disaster. I focus on the ongoing sociological impact on Japan’s ‘nuclear refugees’. This includes social stigma faced by survivors, and increased risk of suicide among those have stayed near the ‘nuclear zone.’ I discuss how sociology might contribute towards sustainable planning.

Public Health Impact of the September 11 Attacks This is Part One of a three-part series summarising some of the public discussions about the September 11 Anniversary. This one focuses on renowned scientific journal, The Lancet, which recently published a special edition on the ongoing health problems arising from the suicide attack in the USA and from the consequent ongoing War in Iraq.

The Lancet reports that in addition to the 3,000 people who died in the September 11 attacks in 2001, there has been a reverberating impact on the physical, mental and public health of over 200,000 Americans.¹I review papers on the health outcomes on the victims and the rescue crews who worked on the World Trade Centre site. I also discuss findings on the 43,000 suicide attack civilian casualties resulting from the Iraq war and a further 200 coalition soldiers. Finally, I include a brief review of the public health preparedness in the USA. Though this has drastically improved since the September 11 attacks, the ongoing economic crisis remains a challenge.

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