Expert Cautions On Natural Disasters

A consultant in Nuclear Medicine at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Jawa Zabah, has called on the Federal Government to take precautions against natural disasters and radio-active materials.

Zabah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the hazards to which radiation exposed people’s health had been of global concern.

“Looking at prevention generally, but to be specific on nuclear agents, I think we need to change our attitude about being prepared for eventualities such as the one witnessed in Japan.

“So, I will encourage our government to first of all try to sensitise people on the effect of radiation for instance, and the effect that it might cause to individual and to the environment.

“And then we should try to put things in place before we embark on any kind of project. There is a huge concern about radiation everywhere in the world. People have taken so many precautions to avert accidents like these,” he stated.

The consultant explained that the materials contained in nuclear radiation could cause lung cancer and fibrosis of the lungs which is scaring throughout the lungs.

He added that it could also cause skin irritation and skin cancer called ‘squamous cell carcinoma’ of the skin.

“The other one is the eyes. It also affects the eyes and it causes cataract and if it is very severe, it can cause blindness. This is the short-term effect of radiation.

“The long-term effect is that these people who are exposed are also likely going to develop some kind of blood cancer that we call leukemia or lymphoma.

“The second long-term effect is that if the radiation is so much, it affects the genetic make up of an individual; that means that it is likely that that person who is exposed, his offspring or his grandchildren will develop some kind of malformations.”

Zabah said that individuals who were exposed to radiation in Japan might not contact all the diseases, however, if the person was exposed to a certain quantity, the person might likely contact one or more of the disease conditions mentioned.

He warned that burning of toxic materials had long-term side-effects on people and the environment and that people should desist from the act.