The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated April 24 to April 30, 2024, as World Immunization Week. In conjunction with World Immunization Week, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) is hosting this seminar to reflect on infectious disease control strategies, as well as the value of vaccination and immunization.

The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) not only had a profound impact worldwide but also prompted a renewed recognition of the importance of prevention, preparedness, and response to infectious diseases in modern society, which had been focused on addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 response, The Cabinet Agency for Infectious Disease Crisis Management(CAICM) was established in the Cabinet Office in September 2023. The “National Action Plan for Pandemic Influenza and New Infectious Diseases,” formulated in 2013 and partially revised in 2017, is also undergoing a re-revision, targeted for completion in summer 2024. Additionally, the integration of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, and the consequent establishment of the “Institute for Health Security”, are scheduled for 2025, accelerating the strengthening of Japan’s domestic system for infectious disease crisis management.

As discussions on nationwide preparedness for infectious diseases gain momentum, vaccination and immunization remain the fundamental pillars of infectious disease control strategies. Vaccination has been hailed as “the greatest invention in medical history,” and there are many diseases that can be prevented through vaccination and immunization. In addition to COVID-19, measles and pneumococcal disease, for which the transitional measures will end at the end of fiscal year 2023, are currently being addressed in the domestic media as of March 2024.

Furthermore, the benefits of vaccination and immunization are not limited to infancy and childhood but extend into adulthood and old age, making a life-course approach to vaccination and immunization desirable throughout one’s lifetime. However, several diverse challenges exist in promoting vaccination and immunization, including communication with civil society, awareness among healthcare professionals, varying positions of national and local governments, the roles and limitations of advisory councils, and balancing public subsidies.

In this HGPI seminar, we aim to explore the necessary measures for future infectious disease control strategies, centering on vaccination and immunization. We are honored to have Ms. Narumi Hori, a leading figure in infectious disease control discussions, as our speaker. In addition to the roles of healthcare professionals as key players in local vaccination and public health policies, we will also discuss the need for a life-course approach that is inclusive of socially vulnerable and high-risk populations. Through this seminar, we hope to deepen our collective understanding of infectious disease control strategies.

[Event Overview]

• • Speaker: Narumi Hori (Registered Nurse / Infection Control Consultant)
  • Date & Time: April 26, 2024 (Friday) 13:00-14:30 JST
  • Format: In-person (No online streaming)
  • Venue: Global Business Hub Tokyo　>>Access
    (Grand Cube 3F, Otemachi Financial City, 1-9-2, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN 100-0004)
  • Language: Japanese (No simultaneous interpretation)
  • Participation Fee: Free
  • Capacity: 50 people (first-come, first-served)
    *Application deadline: April 21 (Sunday) 23:59 JST

*An automatic confirmation email will be sent to your registered email address upon completion of registration. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please email info@hgpi.org.
**To optimize event operations and accommodate as many participants as possible, we kindly ask that you carefully consider your schedule and refrain from canceling after the result announcement.

■Profile

Narumi Hori (Registered Nurse / Infection Control Consultant / President, Infection Control Lab LLC / Adjunct lecturer, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Comprehensive Patient Care, Medical and Dental Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University / Research Fellow, Center for Surveillance, Immunization and Epidemiologic Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases)

Graduated from Kanagawa University’s Faculty of Law and Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Nursing. Withdrawn from the doctoral program at Tokyo Gakugei University Graduate School (Master’s in Education). Completed the National Institute of Public Health (Health Crisis Management, Master of Public Health). After working in infectious disease departments at private and public hospitals, she completed the Field Epidemiology Training Program (9th term) at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases from 2007-2009, served as an assistant professor (Nursing Education/Infectious Disease Nursing) at St. Luke’s International University from 2009-2012, and has been working at the International Clinical Research Center of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine since 2013 (Infectious Disease Control Specialist). In April 2015, she concurrently took on the role of Medical Coordinator at the International Medical Care Department. She resigned from the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in July 2018. In August 2018, she became a freelance consultant (Infectious Disease Control/Global Measures for Communities and Organizations).