Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) hosted an installment of 30-minute Health Policy Update, a series of briefings for Diet Members on key health policy issues. This installment was titled, “Children’s Health – Challenges and Prospects for Implementing and Executing the Basic Law and Basic Plan for Child Health Based on HGPI’s Urgent Recommendations.”

This installment featured a lecture from Mr. Takashi Igarashi, who serves as President of the National Center for Child Health and Development. He provided insights on the current state of health and medical care for children in Japan, highlighted policy issues, and outlined a vision for the future to effectively address challenges in this area.

<Key points of the lecture>

• The World Health Organization (WHO) defined “health” as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” Although Japan ranks first in physical health for children among the 38 OECD member countries, it is ranked 37th for mental health and 27th for social health.
• Two key challenges facing child health in Japan are the high prevalence of low weight births and the high rate of relative poverty, both of which can result in negative effects on physical, mental, and social health for children.
• While there are systems in place to support the physical health of children, such as school-based health checkups, Japan has weak systems for supporting children’s mental health and social well-being. It will be necessary to support children and their families from a biopsychosocial (BPS) perspective that encompasses all aspects of physical, mental, and social health and to build a system that can respond to future risks to children’s health.
• While the Children and Families Agency aims to provide seamless and comprehensive support to all age groups and in a manner that surpasses institutional barriers, health policies that focus on the period following school age are still insufficient.
• In the field of maternal and child health, there are a number of areas where assistance and measures are insufficient. In particular, measures for three following areas must be enhanced:
  (1) Expand support so it reaches all family members, including women during pregnancy and childbirth.
  (2) Disseminate painless delivery in Japan by collecting and promoting research and case studies to standardize practices in the future.
  (3) Promptly introduce mass screenings for newborns that are scientifically sound and proven to be effective in the healthcare system.

[Program] (titles omitted)

Explanatory introduction／Explanation of Urgent recommendations

Ryoji Noritake (Board Member and CEO, HGPI)

Opening remarks

Hanako Jimi (Member, House of Councilors)

Lecture: Children’s Health – Challenges and Prospects for Implementing and Executing the Basic Law and Basic Plan for Child Health Based on HGPI’s Urgent Recommendations

Takashi Igarashi (President and Chief Executive Officer, National Center for Child Health and Development)