26 November 2007

At a meeting yesterday in Tokyo, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Masahiko Koumura, urged the international community to unite and commit to improve health systems globally.

In an address to the International Symposium on People-Centred Health Care: Reorienting Health Systems in the 21st Century, Mr Masahiko Koumura announced that the Government of Japan will use the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit to mobilise the international community and develop a common framework for action. The Government of Japan will host both international events in 2008.

Mr Koumura said that ‘striking the balance between a disease-specific approach and a comprehensive approach will be at the core of the international framework for action’. He pointed to Japan’s experience of integrating prevention and capacity building of community health systems into interventions to tackle maternal and child health as well as infectious diseases, as an example of an effective and holistic approach to health. In his speech he also highlighted the importance of NGO’s role and mobilization in improving health systems.

IPPF warmly welcomes the initiative of the Japanese Government to ensure global health is at the heart of the development and G8 agendas, and supports its commitment to develop a framework of action that is truly international. IPPF will work with the Government of Japan and other partners to raise awareness of the issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure improved global health, and to mobilize support to make certain commitments are fully implemented.

Dr. Gill Greer, Director-General of IPPF, attending the Tokyo meeting personally welcomed the statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and said, “This announcement by The Government of Japan is timely and important if we are to keep global health at the centre of the development agenda.”

“Japan’s combined approach to global health is a winning formula, and IPPF is determined to play an important role in ensuring that this is translated into action for the millions of people in developing countries who depend upon our services. I am particularly delighted that the Minister raised the issue of gender equality in healthcare; all too often women and girls are excluded from accessing healthcare and health issues that relate directly to women and girls receive to little funding.”

Read Minister Koumura's speech
Read the reaction from Japanese health organizations

Contact: Paul Bell
pbell@ippf.org, +44 (0) 7799 335533