What is ulcerative colitis, Shinzo Abe’s medical complaint that caused him to resign as Japan’s PM?
- Abe is understood to have had the complaint from a very young age, though his symptoms have worsened considerably in recent months
- The condition affects the large intestine and rectum, causing diarrhoea – often with blood or pus – abdominal pain, cramping, rectal pain and bleeding
Known as ulcerative colitis, it affects the innermost lining of the large intestine and the rectum, with symptoms developing over time rather than a sudden onset.
Abe is understood to have had the complaint from a young age – he has talked about flare-ups when he was in junior high school – though his symptoms have worsened considerably in recent months. Ulcerative colitis typically occurs intermittently, sometimes with years between flare-ups.
Abe has spoken candidly about his condition, confirming to domestic media that he started taking Asacol, or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), in 2009 – two years after he first stepped down as prime minister. The drug was newly approved in Japan but had been available in other countries for some time.
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Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns for health reasons
“If this drug, Asacol, had taken more time to appear on the market in Japan, it is quite possible that I would not be where I am today”, Abe said in a speech in 2013, underlining just how debilitating his condition had become.
“For that very reason, I consider it both my role and my fate to restore and enrich the lives of patients suffering from intractable illnesses.”