The Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) and the Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) partnered to hold a “Diet Member Briefing on Global Health.” Dr. Kazuhiro Tateda (President of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases / President, The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology / Professor, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University) addressed the meeting about the current need for policies on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Afterward, there was a question and answer session with the gathered Diet Members.  

■Overview:

Every year, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) leads to the death of as many as 700,000 people around the world. In Japan, AMR is becoming an issue for many medical facilities, and cases of community-acquired drug-resistant infections on the rise nationally. Japan enacted a National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in April 2016, and has been promoting AMR-related measures ever since. Sensing growing concern about AMR domestically and abroad, HGPI has been pursuing policy action on this topic since 2016. For the briefing this time, HGPI partnered with JCIE to create an opportunity for a multi-partisan debate among influential Diet members on the importance of policies on AMR.

■Outline:

Opening and Explanatory Remarks

• Akio Okawara (President and Chief Executive Officer, JCIE)

AMR and Public-Private Partnerships

• Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, Health and Global Policy Institute)

The Rising Threat of AMR – The Political Leadership Needed Now

• Kazuhiro Tateda (President of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases / President, The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology / Professor, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University)

Participant List (alphabetical order by last name; honorifics omitted)

• Takao Ando (Member of the House of Representatives)
• Mitsuhiro Mitch Hirai (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Program Assistant to Head of Japan)
• Toru Ishizaki (Member of the House of Representatives)
• Karen Makishima (Member of the House of Representatives)
• Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, HGPI)
• Masanobu Ogura (Member of the House of Representatives)
• Akio Okawara (President and Chief Executive Officer, JCIE)
• Tomoko Suzuki (Chief Program Officer, JCIE)
• Hiroaki Tabata (Member of the House of Representatives)
• Toshiko Takeya (Member of the House of Councillors)
• Masaaki Taniai (Member of the House of Councillors)
• Kazuhiro Tateda (President of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases / President, The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology / Professor, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University)
• Tsunehiko Yoshida (Member of the House of Representatives)