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HSA 6112: International Health Systems **"Japan" ** Ministry of Health: //Marybel Zabel//  Deputy Ministry of Health**:** //Christine Patton-Mitchell// media type="youtube" key="PFqgsUdR81g" height="315" width="560" align="center"

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Japanese Documentary

__Issue #1__
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 * **Japan's population pyramid is forecasting a large geriatric population. (40.55% by 2055) **
 * This will create financial strain's on Japan's universal health care system.
 * Hospitalizations for the elderly are usually extremely long.
 * Low number of nursing homes and long term care facilities. Elderly individuals usually live with their families.
 * This stems from the Japanese culture of honoring the elderly where the family takes care of them.
 * The children are usually over 70 years old themselves.
 * The percentage of the Japanese elderly living at home with their families is dropping. Hospitals are being used as substitutes for nursing homes

__Issue #2__

 * **Declining fertility rate is at a record low. (1.37 children per women in 2009) **
 * The combination of a high elderly population with a low birth rate gives rise to society that resembles a "piggy-back" dependency ratio.
 * Measures need to be taken to increase birth rates.
 * Population of Japan will be decreasing affecting their economy (lower number of workers).
 * Educated women tend to get married and have less children at an older age. (28.3 mean in 2007)
 * In Japan, there is a correlation between late marriage and having less children. Reference



__** Issue #3 **__
 * Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Japan.Reference

**Trends in Death Rates for Leading Causes of Death**

__**Issue #4:**__ >>>
 * **Health issues related to the Earthquake/Tsunami on March 11, 2011.**
 * Nuclear (radiation) crisis Reference
 * There is a risk of exposure as a result of contamination in food.
 * The radioactive iodine and caesium in concentrations above the Japanese regulatory limits have been detected in some food commodities as a result of food monitoring.
 * Exposure to ionizing doses of radiation can increase the risk of cancer.
 * The risk of thyroid cancer following radiation exposure is higher in children and young adults.
 * Water-borne illnesses
 * Injured
 * Homeless
 * Mental Health issues
 * Disasters and their aftermath can have a profound emotional impact on children and may result in long term behavioural disturbances. Children exhibiting signs of stress - including difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, developing new fears, changes in behavior (e.g. clinging, bedwetting), being preoccupied with the crisis - should receive extra time and attention from family members and other caregivers.
 * Limited resources (stretched to their limits)