Category: Health

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 16, 2024 1
Disability Elderly Health Japan My Number

Japan to Abolish Health Insurance Cards as Planned

Japanese digital minister Masaaki Taira reiterated that the government will stop issuing new health insurance cards on Dec. 2 as planned in a move to integrate them into “My Number” electronic personal identification cards. “There is no change in our policy to proceed (with the abolition) as scheduled,” Taira said in a recent interview. At the same time, Taira underscored the importance of the government making efforts to eliminate public distrust in problem-prone My Number cards.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 9, 2024 Number of comments0
Health Influenza Japan

Flu Season Starts in Japan

The number of flu patients reported from about 5,000 regularly monitored medical institutions across the country in the week through Sunday was 1.04 per facility. The number exceeded 1.0, indicating that the flu season has begun. The start came slightly earlier than the average year. By prefecture, Okinawa logged the highest figure with 10.64 patients, followed by Shizuoka with 2.09, Chiba with 2.00, Oita with 1.66 and Fukui with 1.62.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt October 28, 2024 1
Disability Health Japan Medical

Medical society in Japan recommends steps to prevent mycoplasma pneumonia

A respiratory society and other institutions in Japan have jointly announced measures to prevent the spread of mycoplasma pneumonia, which is on the rise in the country. Mycoplasma pneumonia is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria. Children are more susceptible to infection than adults. Symptoms include a fever and a persistent cough. Cases of mycoplasma pneumonia began to rise this summer in Japan. Data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases show that the weekly average number of cases reported by about 500 medical institutions nationwide hit a new high on October 13. It was the third straight weekly high since a new method of data collection was instituted.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 25, 2024 Number of comments0
Health Japan Organ Donation

509 Gave Up on Organ Transplants in Japan Last Year

A total of 509 patients in Japan gave up on organ transplant operations last year because hospitals were unable to carry out such procedures, a health ministry survey showed Tuesday. It was the first time the government conducted a fact-finding survey on the matter. A total of 3,706 people could not receive transplant operations last year, including 509 cases caused by reasons attributed to hospitals, such as the lack of hospital staff and insufficient space in intensive care units needed for operations.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt September 18, 2024 Number of comments0
Health Japan Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co.

Puberulic Acid Causes Beni Koji-Linked Health Damage

Japan’s health ministry said Wednesday that puberulic acid caused kidney damage to users of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co.’s supplements containing “beni koji” red fermented rice. The acid is one of three chemical compounds detected in the supplements, while no kidney toxicity was confirmed in animal experiments from the other two compounds, the ministry said.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 29, 2024 Number of comments0
Health Japan

Obesity among Japanese Men Continues to Rise: Govt Survey

Obesity among men in Japan has continued to rise over the past decade, a survey by the health ministry showed Wednesday. The 2022 survey found that 31.7 pct of men aged 20 and older had a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or higher, which indicates obesity by Japanese standards. Although the obesity rate was down 1.3 percentage points from the previous research in 2019, the ministry said it has continued to rise over the past 10 years.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 20, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Health Japan

After Fatal Accidents, Japan Consumer Agency Calls for Caution at Saunas

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency is alerting sauna lovers to take precautions against accidents such as burns, stressing that some of them are fatal. Specifically, an older woman died from full-body burns she got in a home sauna and a man in his 70s died of acute circulatory failure in a sauna at a recreation facility. Another man also in his 70s fainted in a sauna at a public bath, resulting in amputation of five burned toes.