Japan recognizes Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome

While Sick house syndrome, which is a type of Chemical Sensitivity (CS) with symptomps triggered by indoor pollutants (such as formaldehyde and toluene), is already covered by health insurance in Japan, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has for long denied the approval of CS for health insurance coverage, citing "a lack of unified medical opinion" on the condition. Actually, CS is triggered by a wither range of chemicals that are present both indoors and outdoors such as pesticides and cigarette smoke.

The Tokyo-based organization Sick House Syndrome Liaison Committee had urged the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to officially recognize CS as a medical condition and eventually the Medical Information System Development Center (MEDIS-DC) announced on June 1 that it planned to add CS to such list on Oct. 1

It is estimated that 700,000 japaneese suffer from the condition and are currently paying treatment expenses. Sometimes the clinitians give alternative diagnosis to get the treatment payed to their patients.

Click here for the original Japanese story, (Mainichi Japan) June 12, 2009: http://mainichi.jp/select/science/archive/news/2009/06/12/20090612ddm001040003000c.html

Source in english: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090612p2a00m0na017000c.html