More than 30 senior government officials, health experts, and leaders from international organizations gathered to discuss the direction Japan should take to improve its developmental assistance for health (DAH) strategy and to adapt to the changing international context. With opening remarks from Japan’s former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Hon. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, this dialogue also explored ways to pursue more effective collaboration with international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private sectors, and others. Discussion also covered the following:
- Identifying the gaps that Japan’s official developmental assistance (ODA) can fill in assisting low- and middle-income countries to mobilize more domestic resources for health and utilize them in a sustainable and efficient way.
- Assessing what can be done to support countries undergoing transitions from external funding fom bilateral donors and institutions without leaving behind vulnerable populations.
- Exploring ways to assist host countries in strengthening primary health care (PHC) based health systems as a way of advancing universal health care (UHC).
This event was co-organized with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and held on the sidelines of the Prince Mahidol Conference (PMAC) under JCIE’s Special Commission on Japan’s Strategy on Development Assistance for Health.
Opening
TOMOKO SUZUKI, Chief Program Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) [MC]
Opening Remarks
HON. YASUHISA SHIOZAKI, Member, House of Representatives; former Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare, Japan; Chair, Special Commission on Japan’s Strategy on Development Assistance for Health
Japan’s Current Approach to Development Assistance for Health (DAH)
Moderator: TOMOKO SUZUKI, Chief Program Officer, JCIE
Trends in Multilateral and Bilateral DAH
SHUHEI NOMURA, Project Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Keio University
Japan’s Bilateral DAH: Characteristics and Considerations
IKUO TAKIZAWA, Deputy Director General, Human Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Country Partner Expectations for Japan’s DAH
Moderator: MOTOKO SEKO, Fellow, JCIE
Presenters:
SUWIT WIBULPOLPRASERT, Vice Chair, International Health Policy Program Foundation (IHPF); Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Foundation (HITAF); International Health Policy Program (IHPP Thailand), Ministry of Public Health
KOKU AWOONOR, Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ghana Health Services
DR. SUWIT WIBULPOLPRASERT, Vice Chair, International Health Policy Program Foundation
SOUPHAPHONE SADETTAN, Chief, International Relation Division, Cabinet, Ministry of Health, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
JACKSON OMONDI, Health Sector Coordination & Intergovernmental Affairs (HSC & IGA), Ministry of Health, Kenya
Toward Better Alignment and Collaboration at the Country Level
Moderator: IKUO TAKIZAWA, Deputy Director General, Human Development Department, JICA
Discussant:
KHUAT THI HAI OANH, Executive Director, Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI), Vietnam
Closing Remarks
TAKAO TODA, Vice President for Human Security and Global Health, JICA
