To maintain the momentum created by the 2016 Ise-Shima G7 Summit, which produced the G7 Ise-Shima Vision for Global Health, and by the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), which was held in August in Nairobi, Kenya, JCIE decided to organize a corporate panel that would be held in Kobe on September 10, 2016, just one day before the G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting was to be held there to discuss the implementation of the Vision. The goal of JCIE’s meeting was to cultivate new stakeholders in the global health field from the corporate sector and explore their role in achieving the G7 Ise-Shima Vision. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in September 2015 illustrate the complex ways in which challenges that societies face today interrelate. Corporate engagement in international assistance efforts has been increasing in recent years as it has become clear that no sector can deal with today’s complex challenges on its own, and corporate sector involvement will be essential to efforts to achieve the SDGs and create a world where no one is left behind. These new stakeholders are diverse and are not limited to multinationals or “brand” name companies; small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are seizing the opportunity to “do well by doing good” by mobilizing their technical expertise, existing infrastructure, and human and financial resources to create positive change in developing countries and communities while benefiting their bottom line.

The panel presented interesting and innovative cases of corporate engagement and explored the challenges and opportunities for corporations to meaningfully engage in the field of global health. Emphasis was placed on priorities highlighted in the G7 Ise-Shima Vision, including preparing for and responding to pandemics, expanding access to quality health services to the most vulnerable populations, and promoting active and healthy aging. For the conference report, click below.