Approximately 10% of Japan’s population (about 14.3 million people) is estimated to have hearing loss, highlighting it as an urgent public health issue. In response, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) launched the “Hearing Loss Project” in fiscal year 2025 to address this challenge and advance the development of policies in related areas.

Currently, an estimated 430 million people globally, approximately 5% of the world’s population, including 34 million children, require intervention for hearing loss. Projections suggest that by 2050, this number will rise to 2.5 billion, with approximately 700 million individuals needing auditory rehabilitation. In Japan, the impact of an aging population has resulted in approximately 14.3 million people affected by hearing loss, accounting for about 10% of the population, and thus underscoring the need for hearing loss intervention strategies. To develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges surrounding hearing loss in Japan and to identify potential solutions and priority policy measures, experts from multiple fields, including individuals with lived experience, academia, healthcare professionals, government agencies, local municipalities, and industry (hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers and retailers) will be engaged to tackle this issue.

In fiscal year 2025, an Advisory Board was established in order to organize diverse perspectives on these challenges and to develop potential solutions centered on the needs of those directly affected. The first meeting was held on January 22, 2026, where multi-stakeholder discussions focused on two key themes: “Lack of Opportunities for Early Detection and Early Intervention”, and “Shortages and Regional Disparities in Healthcare Provision”.

Following several Advisory Board meetings, this project aims to develop and publish policy recommendations.

[Overview]

• Date & Time: Thursday, January 22, 2026 10:00–12:00 JST
• Format: In-person, closed-door meeting
• Venue: FINE TOKYO, Otemachi
• Language: Japanese and English (with partial simultaneous and consecutive interpretation)
• Organizer: Health and Global Policy Institute

[Program] (titles omitted, in no particular order)

10:00-10:15	Opening Remarks and Introduction about HGPI’s Activity
	Eri Yoshimura (Senior Manager, Health and Global Policy Institute)
10:15-11:55	Discussion “Lack of Opportunities for Early Detection and Early Intervention” / “Shortages and Regional Disparities in Healthcare Provision”
	Participants: Koichiro Wasano (Professor, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Sugary, School of Medicine, Tokai University Takashi Nakagawa (Professor, Otorhinolaryngology, Clinical Medicine Division, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University) Yoshiaki Kawasaki (Chairman, Japan Otorhinolaryngologists Association) Yumiko Minami (Vice Director, International Department, Zennancho All Japan Association of Hard of Hearing and Late-Deafened People Yasuhiro Suzuki (President, International University of Health and Welfare/ Former Chief Medical and Global Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) Martin Armstrong (President, GN Hearing Japan K.K.) Tomoyoshi Hiramatsu (CEO, Makichie Co., Ltd) Tohru Saitoh (President, Demant Japan K.K.) Daisuke Tojo (Chairman, Japan Hearing Aid Dispensers Association) Rie Inoue (Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist, Japanese Association of Speech-Language-Hearing Therapists) Koji Miura (Chairman, The Association for Technical Aids (ATA) Moderator: Eri Yoshimura (Senior Manager, Health and Global Policy Institute)
11:55-12:00	Summarizing and Closing