![]() ![]() Between 19, the official death record from acrodynia was 585 in England, which dropped to 57 in 1957 and seven in 1955. The earlier research resulted in the withdrawal of mercury-containing tooth powders from the market and hence the decreased morbidity and mortality. The incidences were more common in infants and children less than two years, highest among the age group of nine-month-old. It was present in every one in 500 children exposed to the mercury present in the dental amalgams. The condition was prevalent in the first half of the 20 century in Europe, America, and Australia. Newborn babies and adults are less vulnerable. The disease is mostly seen in infants and young children. Minamata disease is by no means over but, by showing people around the world what victims can do and achieve, I think the world can take courage.There is no exact data regarding the present prevalence of acrodynia. The people of Minamata suffered a lot from the disease and were torn apart, but from that we gained a wonderful power, in the form of the Minamata Convention. Minamata, which has suffered so much, helped the world create the UN Convention named after the city, which will save the lives of many people around the world. Her words stuck in my chest, and I chose to stop hiding, at the age of 38.įor 10 years, my application to be officially declared a Minamata disease victim was rejected until, on March 15, 2007, the Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture declared that she would recognize me as a Minamata disease patient.Īfter receiving the certification, I asked myself how I would live in the future, then I decided to become a storyteller, so that I could tell people all over the world about the disease. It was my daughter who said to me that I had to live honestly. I would change the subject if it came up, and say that it had nothing to do with me. When I was younger, I hid my disease from others. Mercury and Minamata Disease: a Lesson from Japan | United Nations | UN in Action Are you okay to go to such a place as a bride?” ![]() Naming me, the person said to her, “the man you are trying to marry is a Minamata disease victim. I got married at the age of 20, but on the day of our engagement, my wife had a phone call. Rumours spread though, and people would say that no one should marry a member of the Ogata family. We came to understand that it was caused by methylmercury poisoning but we couldn’t really make it public that we were victims, because people thought that Minamata disease was contagious. ![]() I work as a joiner and, when I was younger, would often cut my finger on the whetstone when sharpening knives, because my finger would droop. When I became an adult, I noticed that I had very little sensation in my limbs. My sister Hitomi, who was born a week before her grandfather developed the illness, was born with a disability, again without explanation, then other members of the Ogata family started falling ill one after another. However, we were never told what caused the illness. That was the first tragedy caused by Minamata disease in the Ogata family. Two months later, he passed away in the isolation and infectious diseases ward at the Minamata City Hospital. Minamata Disease is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. ![]()
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