On December 19, 2024, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) hosted an opinion and information exchange meeting titled, “A New Era of Dementia: Making the Most of Diverse Voices from Civil Society.” This meeting was for officials responsible for dementia policies at local governments throughout Japan and was held to provide information and knowledge on formulating plans for the promotion of dementia policies in accordance with the Basic Act on Dementia to Promote an Inclusive Society (hereinafter, the “Basic Act on Dementia”).

The Basic Act on Dementia came into effect on January 1, 2024 and obligates prefectural and municipal governments to endeavor to formulate Plans for the Promotion of Dementia Policies. As each local government works to identify local dementia-related issues and to formulate, implement, and evaluate measures that reflect real-world circumstances in their communities, they are likely to encounter many challenges. However, a growing number of governments have been enacting local regulations for dementia in recent years. Even outside of plans formulated in accordance with the Basic Act on Dementia, expectations are now high for measures for dementia to be formulated and promoted in a manner that reflect the voices of people living with dementia, their family members, and wider civil society.

Rather than unilateral transmission of information from speakers, participants in this symposium were able to share their opinions in real time and anonymously through online tools. The symposium also featured a diverse range of speakers including representatives of patient advocacy organizations, academics, health professionals, and officials from local governments. Together, we held a lively discussion and exchanged opinions and information from various perspectives on the real-world issues faced by local government officials today and measures that can be taken to address them.

[Event overview]

• Date & Time: Thursday, December 19, 2024; 14:00-17:30 JST (including time for participants to network from 16:30 to 17:30)
• Format: Hybrid format (in-person meeting and Zoom webinar)
• Venue: Co-mo-re Yotsuya Tower Conference
• Participation fee: Free
• Target audience: Officials responsible for dementia policies at local governments throughout Japan
• Host: HGPI
• Sponsors (in no particular order): The Mitsubishi Foundation, Eisai Co. Ltd, SOMPO Holdings Inc., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd.

 

[Program] (Titles omitted; in no particular order)

14:00-14:30 Event Introduction and Information for Participants

Shunichiro Kurita (Senior Manager, HGPI)

14:40-16:25 Panel Discussion with Audience Participation
Theme of talk 1: Formulating dementia policies that encompass the perspectives of affected parties and citizens

Panelists

Satoko Hotta (Professor, Graduate School of Health Management, Keio University; President, The Human and Community Development Laboratory; Board Member, HGPI)	Yuhei Yamada (Representative Director, Porque, the Organization of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities)
Shinpei Saruwatari (Director, Medical Collaboration Office, Medical Corporation Seikoen Shirakawa Hospital)	Kazuko Nagaoka (Chief, Senior Citizens’ Long-term Care Section, Health Promotion Department, Tondabayashi City; Director, Long-term Care Prevention Section; Public Health Nurse)

Theme of talk 2: Awareness measures that lead to recognition of dementia among citizens

Panelists

Hidetaka Ota (Professor and Director, Advanced Research Center for Geriatric and Gerontology, Akita University (ARGG))

Matsuyo Kamata (Representative Director, Alzheimer’s Association Japan (AAJ))

Participants: All symposium participants

Moderator
Shunichiro Kurita (Senior Manager, HGPI)

16:25-16:30 Closing remarks

16:30-17:30 Networking event for participants (venue only)