Radiation

The International Health Regulations (2005) states that the public health sector must be prepared to respond and to provide medical care to the injured.

WHO established the Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network (REMPAN) to promote preparedness for radiation emergencies and to advise health authorities in the event of overexposure of people to any source of radiation. The Network’s centres provide emergency medical assistance after radiation accidents and conduct technical training as a preparedness measure.

Radiation emergencies can be accidental or deliberate, when caused by terrorists. They refer to non-routine situations where there is a release of radiation or risk of exposure. Regardless to whether the accident is an isolated event or a large-scale catastrophe, such as Chernobyl, radiation emergencies can greatly impact life, property and the environment.

Radiation emergencies include:

Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or particles and is part of our everyday environment. People are exposed to radiation from cosmic rays, as well as to radioactive materials found in the soil, water, food, air and also inside the body.

Human-made radiation sources are widely used in medicine, industry, and research. There are two types of radiation: ionizing and non-ionizing radiation

Non-ionizing radiation is radiation in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum where there is insufficient energy to cause ionization. It includes electric and magnetic fields, radio waves, microwaves, and optical radiation, which consists of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation.