Japan Chernobyl Foundation

The Japan Chernobyl Foundation (JCF) is an officially-approved Japanese non-profit organization, dedicated to providing humanitarian aid, largely through medical care to children with leukemia and other illnesses. Established in 1991, the foundation initially provided medical support to Ukrainian and Belarusian victims of the Chernobyl disaster.[1] JCF has also been active in providing medical and humanitarian aid in Iraq since 2004, as well as in Japan in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of 2011. The headquarters of the Japan Chernobyl Foundation are in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. The current JCF Chairman is Dr. Minoru Kamata.[2]

History and activities

The Japan Chernobyl Foundation was founded in January 1991 in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan, under the name Nihon Cherunobuiri Rentai Kikin, or Japan Chernobyl Foundation (JCF), with the primary objective of providing medical support to victims of the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The foundation has been particularly active in supporting screening, research and treatment for pediatric leukemia and thyroid cancer in cooperation with medical professionals at Shinshu University, the National Thyroid Cancer Center in Minsk, and the Gomel State Hospital.[3]

In 2004, JCF began providing medical aid in Iraq, focusing primarily on pediatric oncology.[4] The foundation has sponsored cytotoxic therapy for children with cancer, as well as blood bank services through the donation of cell separator machines. The foundation has also offered training courses for pediatric oncology staff at sites outside Iraq. With financial support from the Kirin Brewery company, JCF was also able to provide specific medical supplies, such as leukocytosis factor agents for chemotherapy, to Iraq’s Central Teaching Hospital and to the Mansour Children's Welfare Teaching Hospital. Through its concurrent affiliation with the Japan-Iraq Medical Network (JIM-NET), JCF continues to help save the lives of Iraqi children with leukemia.[5]

Following the March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in great damage along the north-eastern coast of Japan, and the subsequent nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, JCF staff have worked to check radiation levels in affected areas and to monitor foods from the region.[6] With aid from the Shinshu University School of Medicine, the foundation has also been able to monitor blood radiation levels and watch for signs of thyroid cancer and leukemia in children, as well as provide psychological care.[7]

In 2014, after the deterioration of the national security situation in Iraq and the ISIS occupation of Mosul and other Iraqi governorates, JCF launched a new initiative in Iraq to provide medical aid to refugees and other internally displaced people (IDP). The Mart-Shmuni Clinic has been sponsored by JCF since November 2014, with additional help from the government of Japan since March 2015. The initial Mart-Shmuni Clinic was simply a tent, staffed by doctors from among the IDP themselves. Subsequent JCF donation drives have provided sufficient support to establish a proper clinic and provide medicine and other supplies.[8]

JCF Chairman, Dr. Minoru Kamata, and other JCF-affiliated doctors, nurses and staff members, have made numerous visits to Iraq to provide aid. In addition, one JCF member has been working continually on site with local doctors in Erbil, Iraq, to monitor progress of the project and assess clinical needs.[9]

Publication

Ground Zero, a quarterly publication, is the official journal of JCF. The journal details foundation activities through interviews and feature stories from disaster areas, and illustrates the role of JCF in working to solve relevant regional issues.

References
  1. Japan Chernobyl Foundation (eds). Cherunobuiri kara no dengon（『チェルノブイリからの伝言』）Report from Chernobyl. Office Mu. pp. 7–16. ISBN 9784900918337.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  2. "Iraku nammin shien ketsui" [Decision for Iraqi Refugee Support]. Shinano Mainichi Shinbun [Shinano Mainichi Newspaper] (Morning ed.). 2014-12-31. p. 27.
  3. Japan Chernobyl Foundation (eds). Cherunobuiri kara no dengon（『チェルノブイリからの伝言』）Report from Chernobyl. Office Mu. pp. 7–16. ISBN 9784900918337.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Al-Kzayer, , Lika’a Fasih Y.; et al. (2012). "Genetic Evaluation of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Iraq Using FTA Cards". Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 59: 464. doi:10.1002/pbc.24055. PMID 22238115.
  5. Ground Zero. Japan Chernobyl Foundation. June 2004. p. 6.
  6. "Genpatsu 30 kiro kennai de shien" [Support within the 30km nuclear exclusion zone]. Shinano Mainichi Shinbun [Shinano Mainichi Newspaper] (Morning ed.). 2011-03-26. p. 32.
  7. "Houshasei busshitsu no osoroshisa manabu" [Learning the frightening facts about radioactive materials]. Shimin Taimusu [Shimin Times Newspaper] (Morning ed.). 2011-09-25. p. 3.
  8. "Gijutsu mochikaereru no ka?" [Can the technology be taken home?]. Shinano Mainichi Shinbun [Shinano Mainichi Newspaper] (Morning ed.). 2011-01-19. p. 26.
  9. "Iraku nammim shien ketsui" [Decision for Iraqi Refugee Support]. Shinano Mainichi Shimbun [Shinano Mainichi Newspaper] (Morning ed.). 2014-12-31. p. 27.
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