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REMPAN e-Newsletter Issue 7 Summary

Core Content

The REMPAN e-Newsletter Issue 7 (July 2013) provides an overview of recent developments and activities related to radiation emergency preparedness and response. It highlights key events, training programs, and publications that contribute to the global efforts in managing nuclear and radiological emergencies. The newsletter is produced twice a year by the WHO REMPAN Secretariat and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance in Würzburg, Germany.

Main Topics and Events

Scientific Events

1. ConRad 2013 (20th Nuclear Medical Defence Conference)

   • Held in Munich, Germany, from May 13–16, 2013.
   • Organized by the Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology affiliated with the University of Ulm.
   • 331 delegates from 44 countries attended, making it one of the largest conferences in this field.
   • Key topics included radiation accident preparedness, response, protection, and research.
   • The conference featured live internet lectures and discussions from experts across various sectors.
   • The books of abstracts and impressions are available on the conference website, and selected speeches will be published in the Health Physics Journal.

2. NIRS Workshop on Medical Response to Nuclear Accidents in Asia 2013

   • Organized by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Chiba, Japan.
   • Co-organized by WHO and IAEA.
   • Participants from 11 Asian countries attended.
   • The workshop emphasized interactive training and two-way lectures.
   • Dr. Zhanat Carr (WHO) gave a lecture on WHO activities in radiation emergency medicine.
   • The goal was to improve knowledge and skills in radiation emergency medicine.

3. 10th Anniversary of RRCRM&HE, Gomel, Belarus

   • Held in Gomel, Belarus, on January 31, 2013.
   • Organized by the Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology (RRCRM&HE).
   • Over 200 participants from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran attended.
   • Topics covered included radiation medicine, epidemiology, biology, ecology, dosimetry, and safety.

4. IX Latin American IRPA Regional Congress on Radiation Protection and Safety

   • Held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from April 14–19, 2013.
   • Organized by the Brazilian Radiation Protection Society (SBPR), with support from IRPA and FRALC.
   • Featured Dr. Teresa Leite from FEAM (Eletronuclear Medical Assistance Foundation).
   • The conference focused on radiation protection, safety, and medical preparedness.
   • A training program for health social workers was presented, aiming to train 400 professionals by 2013.

Exercise and Training

1. XXII Annual Retraining, Angra dos Reis, Brazil

   • Held in December 2012.
   • Organized by FEAM.
   • Focused on biodosimetry and response capacity.
   • Topics included the 1987 Goiânia radiation accident and lessons learned.
   • Involved military and civilian experts, including Dr. Nelson Valverde (FEAM consultant and IAEA collaborator).

2. Integrated Special Tactical Exercises in the Urals Region

   • Conducted on April 24, 2013.
   • Organized by the Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
   • Aimed at extinguishing a forest fire in the East Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) area.
   • Involved URCRM (Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine) in triage and emergency assistance.
   • Radioactive contamination levels were estimated using environmental data and maps.
   • The exercise emphasized improving coordination and consistency among different units during real emergencies.

3. 4th International Expert Course, Stockholm, Sweden

   • Held in May 2013.
   • Organized by Karolinska Institutet, in collaboration with WHO-REMPAN, EBMT, and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.
   • Focused on medical management of radiological and nuclear events.
   • Delegates included 17 experts, primarily hematologists and oncologists.
   • Covered lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi accident, including stem cell transplantation.
   • Included group activities based on radionuclear scenarios.

New Publications

1. IAEA Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan (July 2013)

   • Describes inter-agency arrangements for radiation emergency preparedness and response.
   • Independent of the cause of the incident (accident, natural disaster, etc.).

2. IAEA Publication: "Actions to Protect the Public in an Emergency to Severe Conditions at a Light Water Reactor" (May 2013)

   • Part of the IAEA Emergency Preparedness and Response series.
   • Includes lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

3. IAEA CD-ROM: "Cytogenetic Dosimetry Applications in Preparedness for and Response to Radiation Emergencies" (2013)

   • Contains 15 lectures on cytogenetic dosimetry.

4. WHO Report: "Health Risk Assessment from the Nuclear Accident after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami"

   • Based on preliminary dose estimation.
   • Aims to estimate public health impact and anticipate future health needs.
   • Published in response to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident.

5. WHO Article: "World Health Organization Guideline Development: An Evaluation" (May 2013)

   • Examines the impact of the Guidelines Review Committee (GRC) on WHO guideline documents.
   • Published in PLoS One.

News – From WHO Offices

1. 66th World Health Assembly (WHA), Geneva, Switzerland (May 2013)

   • Focused on non-communicable diseases, universal health coverage, women and children’s health, and IHR implementation.
   • Delegates praised WHO’s work on drinking water safety and workers’ health.
   • Influenza H7N9 and MERS-CoV were highlighted as important public health concerns.

2. IAEA-PAHO/WHO Sub-Regional Workshop, Panama (April 2013)

   • Aimed at updating notification protocols under international conventions and IHR.
   • Discussed coordination and harmonization of national and international response efforts.
   • Focused on the health sector's role in radiation emergency preparedness.
   • Guatemala did not attend the workshop.

News – From the Network Centres

1. REMAT Reorganization, NIRS, Chiba, Japan (2013)

   • Established in 2010, REMAT (Radiation Emergency Medical Assistant Team) was initially focused on foreign radiation emergencies.
   • In March 2013, NIRS reorganized REMAT as a department with full-time staff.
   • Now includes domestic and foreign response.
   • Dr. Makoto Akashi is the executive director of NIRS and director of REMAT.

2. New Training Facility at NIRS, Chiba, Japan (April 2013)

   • A three-story building with two lecture rooms, six laboratories, and a computer-equipped room.
   • Designed to support training and drills involving radioactive materials.
   • Opened on May 20, 2013.

3. International Academic Conference on Radiation Health Risk Management in Fukushima, Japan (February 2013)

   • Organized by Fukushima Medical University.
   • Materials and video recordings of discussion sessions are available online.

Upcoming Training Courses

• 06–09 August 2013, Oak Ridge, USA – Radiation Emergency Medicine (REM)
• 12–16 August 2013, Oak Ridge, USA – Advanced Radiation Medicine
• 10–11 September 2013, Oak Ridge, USA – Pre-Hospital Radiation Emergency Preparedness
• 21–25 October 2013, Trnava, Slovak Republic – NERIS-TP Training Course
• 18–22 November 2013, Mol, Belgium – Radiation Protection Course

Upcoming Scientific Events

• 29 July – 02 August 2013, Boston, USA – Radiological Emergency Planning: Terrorism, Security, and Communication
• 31 July – 02 August 2013, Baltimore, USA – Mitigation and Treatment of Radiation Damage
• 01–05 September 2013, Dublin, Ireland – 40th Annual Meeting of the European Radiation Research Society
• 15–19 September 2013, New Orleans, USA – 59th Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting
• 07–10 October 2013, Brussels, Belgium – Fifth International MELODI Workshop
• 22–24 October 2013, Abu Dhabi, UAE – ICRP 2013: 2nd International Symposium on the System of Radiological Protection
• 02–03 December 2013, Dubai, UAE – ICRM 2013: International Conference on Radiation Medicine
• 23–27 June 2014, Geneva, Switzerland – IRPA 2014 (Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2013)

14th WHO REMPAN Coordination and Planning Meeting

• Scheduled for May 7–9, 2014, hosted by WHO Collaborating Center Würzburg.
• Will take place at Hotel Novotel Würzburg, Germany.
• Invitation-only participation.

Key Information

• The REMPAN network is focused on radiation emergency preparedness and response.
• WHO-REMPAN coordinates activities and supports international collaboration.
• Collaborating Centers like University of Würzburg and ARCRM/St. Petersburg are key partners.
• NIRS in Japan is nearing the end of the WHO Collaborating Center designation process.
• Training and exercises are essential components of radiation emergency management.
• Scientific events and publications provide guidance and lessons learned from past incidents.
• International cooperation is crucial for effective emergency response.
• The 14th WHO REMPAN Meeting is an important upcoming event for network coordination.

Contributors and Editors

• Editors: Dr. Zhanat Carr (WHO), Dr. Rita Schneider (REMPAN CC Würzburg)
• Contributors: Viktor Meineke, Christina Beinke, Hideo Tatsuzaki, Misao Hachiya, Takako Tominaga, Makoto Akashi, Pablo Jimenez, Elena Kuznetstova, Teresa Leite, Alexander Rozhko, Leif Stenke, Mitsuaki Yoshida

Contact

• Dr. Zhanat Carr, WHO-REMPAN Coordinator
  Email: carrz@who.int
  Website: [http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/a e/rempan/en/index.html](http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/a e/rempan/en/index.html)