Health and Global Policy Institute (HPGI) is proud to be independent, non-profit, and non-partisan, which is rare among think tanks in Japan.

When HGPI develops policy recommendations, we do not base them on the opinions of any single specific expert or sector, but develop them through true multistakeholder discussion that brings together people from industry, government, academia, and civil society. We gather diverse opinions and synthesize them in policy proposals.

It is now more important than ever that healthcare policy be created based on the collective knowledge of society. In order to achieve that, it is crucial that we approach policy development via a process of rigorous debate in which representatives of industry, government, academia, and civil society can participate as equals. Fair discussions that are open to people from all relevant sectors are especially important for policy topics in the fields of health and healthcare, as these fields impact the lives of every single member of the public. Unfortunately, opportunities to synthesize collective knowledge in this manner are still too few in Japan.

Multistakeholder-developed, broad-based policy proposals are more impactful and useful than policy proposals that represent the views of only one specific industry or stakeholder. We believe that it is our commitment to the development of such proposals that has allowed us to influence policy reforms up to this point.

Based on that belief, we have focused our activities in recent years around a singular policy:

“HGPI is dedicated to fostering multi-stakeholder health policy debate globally, with a commitment to the inclusion of civil society. Through conversations with stakeholders, HGPI is working to realize evidence-based health policies that are meaningful in a global context, and of real value to the people that need them the most.”

What is the best way to gather diverse opinions and synthesize collective knowledge? We want to create evidence-based policy proposals, but how should we define “evidence” in our recommendations, when health policy so often focuses on such broad topics as the way people live, their happiness, and their health? Policy creation and validation sometimes requires us to redefine existing values and methods. This requirement should not be taken lightly. We believe that we must approach the development of health policy seriously, with an understanding of the true impact that policy can have on people’s lives. I believe that our serious approach to these issues is what makes it possible for us to consistently gather diverse stakeholders from all sectors for open and free debate on various policies.

Every one of the core members of HGPI is committed to pursuing the creation of a better world. We are dedicated to developing the policy options that society needs through careful and deliberate debate. We humbly request your continued support for these efforts.

Sincerely,

Ryoji Noritake, Chair