Amid fears of war on the Korean Peninsula, the health ministry is investigating how to prevent an outbreak of infectious diseases in the event of a mass influx of refugees — including North Koreans — into Japan.
Health ministry official Shiho Yoshii said Monday a team of about 10 experts is studying how European countries have tackled infectious diseases during their own refugee crises. The team is due to present a final report around February, she said.
"We will investigate how Japan should tackle infectious diseases ... by gathering documents about measures taken by countries such as Greece that have accepted refugees," said Yoshii, who works in the ministry's tuberculosis and infectious diseases control division.