Pain is a significant factor that impairs quality of life (QOL) for patients and their families, making it a key policy topic. Recognizing this, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has held repeated discussions on measures for pain management since FY2022. As current evidence supports efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions provided by various specialties, it is urgent that Japan develops an integrated care provision system to deliver these forms of pain management through strengthened collaboration among different specialties and professionals.
Pain is associated with various diseases and palliative care is recommended as one method of supporting people living with pain, especially pain which accompanies life-threatening diseases. After the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its definition of palliative care in 2002, this form of care has expanded from palliative care that is provided during the terminal stage to include care provided during early stages, such as after diagnosis as well as during treatment, convalescence, and follow-up.
In Japan, advances in palliative care have mostly been centered around the field of cancer. In line with the expanded definition assigned to the concept of palliative care by the WHO, since the first phase of the Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs came into effect in 2007, it has included “Implementation of palliative care from the early stage of treatment” among its primary measures. Since its second phase, it has included “Implementation of palliative care from diagnosis,” expanding the stages at which management can be provided for the pain experienced by patients and their families.
For the upcoming HGPI Seminar, we will host Professor Masahiko Sumitani, who serves as Director of the Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Professor Sumitani’s lecture will examine current circumstances surrounding palliative care in Japan and overseas, focusing on initiatives to provide integrated palliative care from early post-diagnosis to end-of-life, through follow-up and rehabilitation. He will also examine future prospects for this field.
*Please note that this seminar is available in Japanese only. An English report of this event will be published in due course.
[Event Overview]
- Speaker: Masahiko Sumitani (Department Director, Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital; Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
- Date & Time: Tuesday, October10, 2023; from 18:30 to 19:45 JST
- Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
- Language: Japanese
- Participation fee: Free
- Capacity: 500
■ Speaker Profile:
Masahiko Sumitani Department Director, Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital; Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Masahiko Sumitani earned MD from the Faculty of Medicine at Tsukuba University. Subsequently, he completed PhD in Medicine at Department of Acute Critical Medicine (Anesthesiology), Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine. He served as the Assistant professor at Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Relief Center, The University of Tokyo Hospital (2008-2012), the Department Director, Department of Medical Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, and Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (2012-2014), and has been appointed as Department Director, Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine and Associate Professor at Tokyo University Hospital since 2014.
He also serves for many pain-related academic societies including but not limited to the Japanese Association for the Study of Pain, the Japan Neuroscience Society International Association for the Study of Pain and International Association for the Study of Pain. He has been nominated for a number of awards including Young Investigation Award for Clinical Study of the Japan Society for Clinical Anesthesia (2010).
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the second lecture of the 12th session of Health Policy Academy (HPA).
At the second lecture, Shintaro Tamate, Professor, Faculty of Law Department of Political Studies, Gakushuin University, provided entitled “Health Policy and Ethics”.
In the first half of the lecture focused on the connection between health policy and ethics and the ethical examination of health policy.
In the second half, participants examined the health policies ethically and actively engaged in meaningful discussions with group members using the knowledge they had learned.
The HPA has been renewed, and the 12th session will be called “HPA Advance.” This curriculum will cover the theory, themes, and analysis of health policies and will be conducted over the next six months. Its objective is to offer participants opportunities to learn about essential concepts required for the actual policy-making process. This includes fostering coordination and agreement among various ideas through discussions and the development of recommendations with students from diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Chairman of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), and Prof. Masahiro Hashizume, Planetary Health Alliance Japan Hub / Professor of the University of Tokyo, who is also a member of the advisory board for the Planetary Health Project, jointly published an article “Physicians and Planetary Health” in the Japan Medical Association’s member newsletter “JMA News” on September 20, 2023.
The article provides an overview of the trends concerning the impact of environmental changes on human health and society. It discusses the importance of the healthcare sector, including physicians, being conscious of the perspective of planetary health. As custodians of people’s health, they play a vital role in achieving a sustainable future through collaboration with local communities.
For the article in Japanese, please see here; for the article in English, please see below.
This article is also featured in the “Iryo-Ishin(Medical Innovation)” opinion section on one of the largest healthcare information websites m3.com, available in Japanese from here.
Physicians and Planetary Health
- Masahiro Hashizume (Planetary Health Alliance Japan Hub/Professor of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo)
- Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, Health and Global Policy Institute)
The effects of environmental change at the global level on human health and society are becoming increasingly severe. It is imperative for physicians to be aware of the planetary health perspective, and those who care for human health must play an important role in working with local communities to achieve a sustainable future.
The Industrial Revolution that took place in the mid-18th century was a pivotal moment in the transformation of the global environment. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, and environmental pollution caused by chemical substances have made the global environmental system less resilient and more vulnerable. Paul Crutzen, a 2000 Nobel laureate in chemistry, named the geological age since humans began to influence the Earth’s geology and ecosystems the “Anthropocene”. The Anthropocene is a concept that has become a symbol not only of geological but also social, economic, and cultural change 1.
The concepts of “great acceleration” and “planetary boundaries” are specific to the onset of the Anthropocene. The “great acceleration” 2 represents the rapid increase in the burden on the global environment caused by the increased economic activity from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. “Planetary Boundaries” 3 indicates the extent to which the health of the global environment can be maintained. There are nine planetary boundaries that are set, and four boundaries have already been exceeded, including climate change.
The health impacts of climate change include heat stroke and heat-related deaths, deaths from natural disasters, increase in waterborne and foodborne infectious diseases, expansion of endemic areas of arthropod-borne infectious diseases, increase in nutrition-related diseases, and mental health problems due to disasters and other factors. It is estimated that inadequate measures to control greenhouse gas emissions will result in about 250,000 excess deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 4. In the sub-Saharan region and South Asia, the risk of death from child malnutrition, malaria, and diarrhea will increase, and in developed countries, the risk of heat-related deaths, especially among elderly people, is expected to increase.
In addition, the loss of tropical rainforests has led to increased contact with wildlife and an increase in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as SARS (2002), MERS (2012), Ebola virus disease (2013), and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. The rapid increase in the international flow of people and commodities has contributed to the spread of infectious diseases and caused significant disruption to the international society.
The use of chemicals has increased since the Industrial Revolution, and even today, environmental pollution causes 9 million deaths per year, with air pollution estimated to be responsible for 6.7 million deaths 5. In addition, the use of pesticides and chemical pollution has spread, and microplastics produced by broken-down plastic wastes are ingested by marine animals, causing a toxic impact through the food chain 6. The burden of this problem has been found to be greater on the most vulnerable members of society 7. The burden has been shown to fall more heavily on vulnerable populations 8.
Thus, when considering our health, it is important to take a planetary health perspective that pursues the “health” of the entire global environment. Human health can only be realized through the existence of a healthy Earth environment, and it is fundamental to fully recognize that the two are inseparable. The importance of this concept was emphasized in “Proposals for the Future” published in March of this year in the 120th Anniversary Commemorative Journal of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences 9.
In advance of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26; 2021), an editorial co-authored by the editors-in-chief of 18 journals, including the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), was published in over 220 medical journals around the world. Warning that “the science is clear” that adverse health effects from climate change will occur unless the temperature increase from pre-industrial times is limited to less than 1.5°C. Medical professionals took the lead in urging governments and world leaders to take action on climate change to protect people’s health, and at COP26, the need to promote climate change action was emphasized. The COP26 meeting emphasized the need to take action on climate change in order to protect people’s health.
Planetary health was introduced by a committee launched in 2014 by the Rockefeller Foundation and The Lancet. The committee published a report titled “Safeguarding Human Health in the Anthropocene Epoch” 10 in The Lancet journal the following year, and the concept rapidly gained widespread recognition. In 2016, the Planetary Health Alliance was launched, a consortium of universities, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, and government entities from more than 60 countries that have played a central role in the rapid growth of this diverse interdisciplinary field. In May of this year, the Planetary Health Alliance Japan Hub was organized by academics.
By adopting a planetary health perspective, physicians can develop a broader view of their health initiatives. For example, local nature, such as satoyama, is closely related to the health and culture of the community, and physicians can educate the public about its importance and work with residents to protect the environment, thereby improving the health of the community. Physicians can contribute to the promotion of harmony between the health of local communities and the environment by actively participating in efforts to ensure the sustainability of social capital 11, which includes natural resources such as water, air, and food, as well as social resources such as education, equality, and resident networks, all of which are essential for a better quality of life.
Meanwhile, the healthcare industry is also placing a burden on the global environment. According to a recent survey of 43 countries, the healthcare sector accounts for an average of 4.4% of total industry greenhouse gas emissions, and Japan is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world 12. To achieve the global goal of limiting temperature, increase to less than 1.5°C, the healthcare sector has an obvious responsibility. The healthcare sector is obviously responsible for limiting temperature rise to below 1.5°C, the global target. If medical progress drives climate change, the health of the current generation will be traded off against the health of the next. In order to protect the health of the next generation and avoid widening intergenerational health disparities, focusing on disease prevention with less impact on the global environment to achieve a healthy society is important. While some have voiced concerns about the cost-effectiveness of climate change measures, studies have shown that the health benefits outweigh the costs 13, and physicians actively disseminating this information to society will be a major driving force in achieving carbon neutrality.
The planetary health perspective offers an opportunity to rethink the mission and role of physicians in a new dimension. In addition to the treatment of disease, disease prevention, and care for the environment are important means of promoting health, and physicians can make an important contribution toward the protection of the Earth’s environment and the realization of a sustainable society. Physicians are expected to practice the philosophy of planetary health and actively participate in efforts to build a sustainable future for generations to come, in collaboration with local communities.
References：
1 Crutzen PJ. Geology of mankind. Nature. 2002 Jan 3;415(6867):23.
2 Steffen W, Crutzen J, McNeill JR. The Anthropocene: are humans now overwhelming the great forces of Nature? Ambio. 2007 Dec;36(8):614-21.
3 Steffen W, Richardson K, Rockström J, Cornell SE, Fetzer I, Bennett EM, Biggs R, Carpenter SR, de Vries W, de Wit CA, Folke C, Gerten D, Heinke J, Mace GM, Persson LM, Ramanathan V, Reyers B, Sörlin S. Planetary boundaries: guiding human development on a changing planet. Science. 2015 Feb 13;347(6223):1259855.
4 Hales S, Kovats S, Lloyd S, Campbell-Lendrum D, editors. Quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of death, 2030s and 2050s. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014. pp. 1–128.
5 Fuller R, et al. Pollution and health: a progress update. Lancet Planet Health. 2022 Jun;6(6):e535-e547.
6 Science Council of Japan Joint Committee on Environmental Studies and Committee on Health and Human Life Science Subcommittee on Environmental Risk (2020) “Recommendation: The pollution of water environment by microplastics The Need for Ecological and Health Effects Research and the Governance of Plastics”. Science Council of Japan.https://www.scj.go.jp/ja/info/kohyo/pdf/kohyo-24-t288-1en.pdf
7 Evans GW, Kantrowitz E. Socioeconomic status and health: the potential role of environmental risk exposure. Annu Rev Public Health. 2002;23:303-31.
8 Japanese Association of Medical Sciences “Mirai e no teigen” Drafting Committee. 120th Anniversary Commemorative Journal of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences “Mirai e no teigen [Proposals for the Future]”March 2023 https://www.jmsf.or.jp/news/page_893.html
9 Whitmee S, Haines A, Beyrer C, Boltz F, Capon AG, de Souza Dias BF, Ezeh A, Frumkin H, Gong P, Head P, Horton R, Mace GM, Marten R, Myers SS, Nishtar S, Osofsky SA, Pattanayak SK, Pongsiri MJ, Romanelli C, Soucat A, Vega J, Yach D. Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: report of The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on planetary health. Lancet. 2015 Nov 14;386(10007):1973-2028.
10 https://www.planetaryhealthalliance.org/
11 Hirofumi Uzawa, “Social Common Capital”, 2000, Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo.
12 Health Care Without Harm, Climate-smart health care series, Green Paper Number One (2019): https://noharm-global.org/sites/default/files/documents-files/5961/HealthCaresClimateFootprint_092319.pdf
13 Future Earth, The Earth League, WCRP (2021). 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2021. Stockholm doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5639539. https://10insightsclimate.science/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Report_Climate-Science-Insights_2021_WEB.pdf
■About Planetary Health Alliance (PHA)
Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) is a global consortium dedicated to understanding and addressing the impact of global environmental change on human health PHA supports the development of planetary health communities across sectors, generations, regions, and disciplines. PHA also supports the rapid growth of the planetary health field by disseminating new research and educational materials and facilitating education and training for current and future planetary health practitioners. In addition, PHA seek to mainstream the concept of planetary health through outreach to civil society, the private sector, and governments. For more information on the activities of the PHA, please click here.
Mr. Shunichiro Kurita, Senior Manager at Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), will be appearing on Tokyo FM’s “School of SDGs Mirai Code”.
In response to the enactment of the Dementia Basic Law, content of the law and the future direction of our society will be discussed in the program.
- Date & Time: Sunday, October 1, 2023, from 7:00 to 7:30 JST
- Broadcasting Station: Tokyo FM (80.0MHz)
- Program: “School of SDGs Mirai Code”
- Language: Japanese
*Please note that the content of the program is subject to change without prior notice.
In conjunction with Climate Week NYC 2023, an annual event organized by The Climate Group that takes place in New York City from September 17-24, and coincides with the United Nations General Assembly, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) endorses and cooperates in the online petition campaign launched by Green Practice Japan. Climate Week NYC, considered the biggest global climate event of its kind, brings together international leaders from business, government, and civil society to showcase global climate action. The petition campaign, which started on August 22, 2023, calls for a “Net Zero Declaration in Healthcare: To protect lives from heatstroke and heavy rainfall disasters caused by the climate crisis, the Japanese government should declare net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the healthcare sector by 2050.”
This signature campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on human health and calls on the Japanese government to establish a resilient healthcare system against climate change and declare net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the healthcare sectors by 2050. Furthermore, the petition appeals for healthcare professionals to take a leadership role in addressing global warming and contribute to building a sustainable society.
The organizers of this campaign, Green Practice Japan, advocate for environmentally sustainable healthcare based on the Green Practice concept.
To endorse the online petition, please click here.
*Available only in Japanese
■ About Green Practice Japan:
Green Practice Japan is a General Incorporated Association primarily composed of members who are physicians that advocate for environmentally sustainable healthcare based on the Green Practice concept. The organization supports healthcare professionals to pursue improved health through environmental considerations, and to build sustainable future. Their vision is to improve health, reduce health risks, and reduce the environmental impact and costs of health care through environmentally friendly practices, and to achieve sustainable health care with an emphasis on enhancing primary care, providing a creative environment, and building collaborative communities.
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the second FY2023 advisory board meeting for the Planetary Health Project on August 30, 2023.
Aiming to advance discussions on planetary health and to contribute to better health for the Earth and its people, HGPI formed an advisory board and launched its Planetary Health Project in FY2022. Together with our newest advisory board members who joined in FY2023, we plan to advance various initiatives centered on advisory board discussions this fiscal year.
The Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) describes planetary health as “a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth.” Recognizing that climate change impacts and environmental footprints vary from country to country, and discussions that examine these issues are being held in the field of planetary health and efforts to implement various mitigation and adaptation measures to address them are currently underway. Challenges facing Japan include frequent natural disasters and a demographic transition resulting from birthrate decline and population aging. Deepening discussions on these topics and implementing future solutions will require multi-stakeholder efforts to identify unique challenges facing Japan and to build understanding toward them.
At this project’s advisory board meetings, opinion leaders and relevant parties in the field of planetary health from industry, Government, academia, and civil society will share best practices and ideas from each stakeholder group, identify issues, and recommend solutions.
At our second meeting for FY2023, firstly, three designated advisory board members provided presentation with insights regarding their awareness of issues and initiatives. after which the secretariat shared with the entire group future initiatives for the project and the agenda items from the first meeting. Following this, comprehensive discussions were held regarding the individual presentations and the agenda items.
Click here to learn more about the Planetary Health Project’s efforts.
■ The Second Advisory Board Meeting
17:00-17: 05: Explanatory introduction
Shu Suzuki (Senior Associate, HGPI)
17:05-17:50: Comments on issues from each participant
Presentation 1 –“The Beginning of Nature-based-Transformation”
Makoto Haraguchi (Fellow, MS&AD InterRisk Research & Consulting, Inc. / TNFD dedicated SVP, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.)
Presentation 2 –“Planetary Health and ESG”
Kenji Fuma (Specially Appointed Professor, Co-Creative Organization for Green Society, Shinshu University / CEO, Neural, Inc.)
Presentation 3 –“Climate Change and Health”
Yukari Nakano (Executive Officer, Japanese Nursing Association)
17:50-18:00: Secretariat structure and the future initiatives for this project
18:00-18:55: Plenary Discussion
18:55-19:00: Future schedule and other notes
Joji Sugawara (Vice President, HGPI)
18:55-19:00: Future schedule and other notes
(The Second Planetary Health Project advisory board meeting in FY2023)
Advisory board members (titles omitted; in Japanese syllabary order)
Satoru Arima (DAIICHI SANKYO HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.)
Saori Kashima (Director, Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University)
Masahiro Kaminota (Director-General, Environmental Health Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of the Environment)
Taiko Kudo (Chief Engineer, Environment and Energy Division, Japan Weather Association)
Naoki Kondo (Professor and Chair, Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University)
So Sugawara (Representative Director, Green innovation)
Yasuhiko Suzuki (Director, International Joint Research Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University; Distinguished Professor, Hokkaido University)
Yukari Nakano (Executive Officer, Japanese Nursing Association)
Keiko Nakamura (Professor, Department of Global Health Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences (Medicine), Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Keisuke Nansai (Head, Material Cycles Division of National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES))
Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Makoto Haraguchi (Fellow, MS&AD InterRisk Research & Consulting, Inc. / TNFD dedicated SVP, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.)
Eiji Hinoshita (Assistant Minister for Global Health and Welfare, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Kenji Fuma (Specially Appointed Professor, Co-Creative Organization for Green Society, Shinshu University / CEO, Neural, Inc.)
Hidekazu Hosokawa (Executive Director, Japan Medical Association)
Yusuke Matsuo (Director, Business Task Force, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies)
Yutaka Mitsutake (Director, Japan Sustainability, AstraZeneca K.K.)
Hiroya Yamano (Director, Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies)
Naoko Yamamoto (Professor, International University of Health and Welfare / Director,Global Medical Cooperation Center)
Chiho Watanabe (Dean, Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health; Professor, School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University)
Japan Association for Global Health, Students Section (jagh-s)
Asian Medical Students’ Association Japan (AMSA Japan)
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has presented an urgent recommendation regarding the ideal system for obstetric care in Japan in the era of the birthrate redline. With the declining birth rate becoming an urgent issue, the government has adopted a diverse range of countermeasures to the declining birth rate, and discussions are underway toward the future insurance coverage of childbirth expenses.
On the other hand, the business environment surrounding obstetric care institutions is becoming harsher due to a decrease in the number of births and higher prices. Against this backdrop, HGPI has released an urgent recommendation on what is needed to maintain a safe environment for pregnancy and childbirth in this era of declining birthrates.
Recommendations
- The government should clarify the future structure of Japan’s obstetric care system and present a vision.
- When insurance coverage is granted to childbirth, adequate points must be assigned to it in the medical service fee schedule. When revising reimbursements, ensure that the natural increase in the cost of childbirth is reflected.
- Provide suitable reimbursements for and review medical practices related to perinatal care.
- Cooperate with local governments and related parties to design frameworks that will not require copayments from expectant mothers.
- Determine how to best provide painless delivery.
For details, please see the PDFs linked below.
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) released its Current Activity April – June 2023.
■ Click here to view the report (Web page)
■ Click here to view the report (PDF).
Past Activity Reports and Annual Reports can be found here.
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has made continuous efforts with the view that dementia is a key item on the policy agenda in a super-aging society. With a particularly deep commitment to dementia policy in Japan, we have collaborated with people living with dementia and other multi-stakeholders to offer several policy recommendations during the formulation process for the Dementia Basic Act for an Inclusive Society (or, the “Dementia Basic Act”). Many of our recommendations were reflected in the Dementia Basic Act when it was enacted in June 2023.
The basic principles of the Basic Dementia Act state that in addition to taking various measures for people living with dementia, appropriate support should also be provided to family members and others who provide long-term care to support people living with dementia. Many initiatives have been taken in recent years in pursuit of the socialization of long-term care, such as the establishment of the Long-term Care Insurance System. These measures aim to ensure that the burden of care is not shouldered entirely by households, but are shared by all of society. However, there are still many cases in which family members are the main providers of long-term care, especially for mental health care.
One way of supporting families and caregivers for people living with dementia is through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Originally, CBT was widely used as a form of psychotherapy for treating depression. It has been granted insurance coverage in Japan and is currently offered as a treatment at healthcare institutions. In recent years, there has been growing attention placed on the CBT approach in which one re-examines the personal thought patterns that cause stress and mental disorders, which is recognized as a skill that can surpass the boundaries of treatment and help people lead more comfortable lives.
In FY2021, the HGPI Mental Health Project conducted a study on the dissemination of CBT and published policy recommendations titled, “Recommendations on the future dissemination of CBT and support methods based on CBT concepts.”
For the upcoming HGPI Seminar, we will host Professor Miyuki Tajima, whose research focuses on how to best utilize CBT concepts to support families, long-term care providers, and others who provide care for people living with dementia.
Mr. Morio Suzuki, who retired from the position of Representative Director of Alzheimer’s Association Japan (AAJ) in June 2023, will also join us as a special guest speaker. Mr. Suzuki will share comments from the perspectives from family members and other providers of long-term care who support people living with dementia. He will also share issues related to the structure of support for supporters and reflect upon his many years of service as Representative Director of AAJ.
*Please note that this seminar is available in Japanese only. An English report of this event will be published in due course.
[Event Overview]
- Speaker: Miyuki Tajima (Project Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Keio University School of Medicine)
Special guest: Morio Suzuki (Former Representative Director, AAJ)
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September 19, 2023; from 18:30 to 19:45 JST
- Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
- Language: Japanese
- Participation fee: Free
- Capacity: 500
■ Speaker Profile:
Miyuki Tajima (Project Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Keio University School of Medicine)
Professor Miyuki Tajima earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences degree from the Department of Mental Health at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine. She assumed her current position after serving in roles including Research Fellow, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP); and Director, Clinical Technology Development Office, National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, NCNP. Professor Tajima’s research examines methods of applying cognitive behavioral therapy-based approaches to provide various forms of support, including return-to-work support for people on sick leave due to depression, community suicide prevention, support for people living in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and support for family caregivers of people living with dementia.
As part of our activities to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day on October 10, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), Betatrip Inc., and Lundbeck Japan K.K. will co-host an online seminar on Wednesday, October 4. The theme of the event is, “Mental Health for People in Their Teens and Twenties.”
At this seminar, specialists in mental health and education will discuss mental health for young people in their teens and twenties, covering topics ranging from the potential for education to eliminate stigma, methods of addressing stress, and providing early-stage care. They will also share other practical information that will be useful for many people. In addition to specialists who are involved in mental health for young people, everyone is welcome to join this event, including young people, their guardians, and anyone who is interested in mental health.
An overview of mental health-related issues facing young people
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), over 500 people in elementary, middle, and high school students died by suicide in 2022. This was the most since 1980, the earliest year for which such statistics are available. While the most common factor for youth suicides is believed to be health problems, health problems are not only limited to mental disorders. Rather, the process that results in suicide is said to be related to both mental and physical illness. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic changed how people interact with one another, exacerbating social issues like isolation and loneliness. Mental health measures for young people are now a vital issue for society.
Given this backdrop, under the leadership of the MHLW, the Government of Japan is redoubling efforts to establish an environment in which young people can maintain good mental health. For example, the 2022 revision of the Guidelines for the Course of Study for high schools updated health and physical education courses to include information on prevention and recovery for mental disorders. For the first time in nearly 40 years, high school students will have opportunities to learn about mental illness at school, which will contribute to prevention and early detection.
[Event overview]
Date: Wednesday, October 4, 2023; from 19:00 to 20:30 JST
Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
Language: Japanese only
Participation fee: Free
Co-hosts: HGPI, Betatrip Inc., Lundbeck Japan K.K.
With support from: the MHLW, the ReOpa Self-Help Group for People Living With Depression or Struggling With Life, Silver Ribbon Japan, the Organization of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities Porque, the National Federation of Associations of Families with The Mental Illness in Japan (Minna-net), COmmunity Mental Health & welfare Bonding Organization (COMHBO), the Japan Depression Center (JDC), the Institute of Japan Mental-health Peer-support training, Peacemind, Inc., and the Royal Danish Embassy
[Program]
Lecture 1: Reducing Mental Health Stigma Through Education: Potential and Challenges
Sosei Yamaguchi (Section Chief, Section of Clinical Service Program Research, Department of Community Mental Health and Law, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP))
Lecture 2: Stress and Stress Management Methods for People in Their Teens and Twenties
Chikaze Sugiyama (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Comprehensive Psychology, Kyoto Tachibana University)
Lecture 3: The Importance of Early Intervention for Young People and an Introduction of the Consultation Support System
Takahiro Nemoto (Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Social Implementation Psychiatry, Toho University School of Medicine)
Panel Discussion (Q&A format)
Moderator: Shunichiro Kurita (Senior Manager, HGPI)
(Please note that seminar content is subject to change without notice.)
Introducing World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day is a day for raising awareness toward mental health issues and eliminating stigma that the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has observed for over three decades. Another objective of World Mental Health Day is to help people unify their voices to take action to create lasting change and foster a society where people can live with hope. World Mental Health Day is officially recognized as an international day by the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year on October 10, awareness-raising activities based on that year’s World Mental Health Day theme are held in over 60 countries around the world. The theme for this year is, “MENTAL HEALTH IS A UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHT.”
For more details, please visit the WFMH website at https://wfmh.global/.
Where did the concepts and global policies relating to compassionate communities and cities come from? Why is the concept of compassionate communities important in 21st century epidemiology, public health policy development, and current civic and social institutional changes?
The Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), in collaboration with the General Incorporated Foundation Orange Cross, is honored to have invited Prof. Allan Kellehear, a leading expert on compassionate communities, to deliver a lecture.
The World Health Organization’s Healthy Cities policy and the global palliative care delivery system are said to be limited in their ability to directly serve the elderly with many comorbidities in today’s society.
Compassionate community is a concept that is attracting worldwide attention as a possible solution to this situation.
In this presentation, first, the international policy background that led to the emergence of compassionate communities will be explained. The presentation will then outline the key policy and practice strategies adopted by compassionate communities/cities, highlight emerging trends in health and social care and the evolution of the international profession, and discuss the correction required in public health.
[Overview]
- Speaker: Prof. Allan Kellehear, PhD., FAcSS (Clinical Professor, University of Vermont, USA)
- Facilitator: Prof. Satoko Hotta (Professor, Graduate School of Health Management of Keio University/ Board Member, Health and Global Policy Institute)
- Date & time: Friday, October 27, 2023; from 10:00 to 12:00 JST
- Format: Onsite (no live broadcasting), archive will be available at later date
- Venue:
Global Business Hub Tokyo, Grand Cube 3F, Otemachi Financial City, 1-9-2, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo - Languages: Japanese and English (consecutive interpreting by Ms. Kayoko Shigematsu)
- Fee: Free
- Capacity: 100
*The application deadline for those who wish to attend the in-person event is 10:00 a.m. on Thursday October 19, 2023. Application results will not be available immediately after registration. Attendees will be selected by a draw of lots. Those who have applied to join the in-person event will be notified of selection results on Friday, October 20, 2023.
**After completing your registration, a confirmation e-mail will be sent automatically to your e-mail address. If you do not receive it, please send us an e-mail at info@hgpi.org.
***The archived videos will be posted on the website at a later date. We will notify all registered participants and subscribers to our organization’s newsletter when they are available for viewing. - Co-hosts: General Incorporated Foundation Orange Cross
■Profile:
Prof. Allan Kellehear, PhD., FAcSS (Clinical Professor, University of Vermont, USA)
Professor Allan Kellehear is a Clinical Professor at the University of Vermont, USA. His specialty is public health and end-of-life care. He obtained a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He also held positions as a professor at La Trobe University, Australia, a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo, a professor at the University of Bath in the UK, a professor at Dalhousie University in Canada, a professor at Middlesex University in the UK, and a professor at the University of Bradford in the UK. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK (FAcSS).
Prof. Satoko Hotta (Professor, Graduate School of Health Management of Keio University/ Board Member, Health and Global Policy Institute)
Professor Hotta holds a PhD in International Public Policy. After graduation, she served as a project associate professor at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Social Science and a visiting professor at Utrecht University.
Co-translated Compassionate Cities: Public Health and End-of-Life Care, authored by Allan Kellehear (2022), published by Keio University Press. The councils she has been involved in include the Caregiver Fee Subcommittee, Welfare Division of the Social Security Council, and the Policy Evaluation Council.
Ahead of next year’s United Nations General Assembly’s High-level Meeting on AMR, representatives from the U.S., Japan, and Canada gathered to explore critical steps that governments and stakeholders can take to help ensure the world has access to the effective antimicrobials and other therapies needed to avert millions of needless deaths and trillions of dollars in added health care expenditures in the future.
The broken marketplace for antimicrobial innovations continues to depress critical investment. While many thought leaders and advocates have been working for decades to jumpstart the R&D pipeline, the panelists agreed the coalition of stakeholders should be broadened to include members of government, the biopharmaceutical industry, medical societies, and think tanks. One avenue to this would be enlisting the help of patients and patient advocates, who can give firsthand accounts to the threat AMR poses to the world.
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) Manager Ms. Yui Kohno attended the event.
In addition, the AMR Action Fund and HGPI compiled a document as a thematic summary of the event. The statements do not necessarily represent the views of all participants or organizations.
Please find the document below and read the details here.
