Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) launched the Cardiovascular Disease Control Promotion Project in 2021 to accelerate policy initiatives in this field. In addition to issuing policy recommendations and disseminating collections of best practices, primarily focused on heart disease, HGPI has engaged in continuous advocacy through dialogue with local government officials, legislators, and representatives of regional healthcare institutions.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in Japan. Preventing severe outcomes through lifestyle improvements and early consultation is critically important. To raise awareness, the Japan Heart Foundation has designated August 10 as “Healthy Heart Day,” while the World Heart Federation has established September 29 as “World Heart Day,” strengthening global and domestic campaigns for lifestyle improvement and disease prevention.

In recent years, attention has also grown around the need for sex-based perspectives in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Women often present with atypical symptoms, leading to delayed detection and treatment. Addressing these challenges does not only require raising awareness and establishing systems to improve early detection but also the inclusion of diverse perspectives, including those of patients and citizens, in healthcare services and policy.

For this HGPI Seminar, we are honored to welcome Dr. Sachiko Kanki, Assistant Professor, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University; Physician, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital. Dr. Kanki has long advanced collaboration with patient associations through her leadership in the Japanese Circulation Association, playing a pioneering role in patient and public involvement in the cardiovascular field. She also serves as the Deputy Director of the university’s Center for Smart Women Doctors and Researchers, an affiliate member of the Science Council of Japan, and a committee member or councilor in various academic societies, actively contributing across the fields of clinical practice, research, and education. In this seminar, she will deliver a lecture on the current state and future direction of cardiovascular disease policies in Japan, and the importance of patient and public involvement, drawing on her extensive experience and activities.

This seminar, held in resonance with “Healthy Heart Day” and “World Heart Day,” will provide an opportunity to share fresh perspectives on cardiovascular disease control in Japan and to consider more effective approaches together with participants.

[Event Overview]

• Speaker:
  Dr. Sachiko Kanki (Assistant Professor, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University; Physician, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital)
  
• Date & Time: Thursday, October 9, 2025; 18:00-19:15 JST
• Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
• Language: Japanese
• Participation Fee: Free
• Capacity: 500 participants

■Profile:

Sachiko Kanki (Assistant Professor, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University; Physician, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital)
Professor Sachiko Kanki graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Osaka Medical College (currently the Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University) in 1999. Specializing in cardiovascular surgery, she completed postgraduate studies after a residency at Osaka Medical College Hospital and the Center for Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. She was appointed Assistant Professor in 2005 and served as Research Fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Harvard University-affiliated teaching hospital, for three years starting in 2007. She then returned to Japan where she became Assistant Professor in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery before assuming her current position in 2020. At Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, her other roles include Deputy Director at the Center for Smart Woman Doctors and Researchers and Faculty Member of the Education Center. She also serves as an Affiliate Member of the Science Council of Japan and as a committee member or councilor for a number of academic societies. She also leads the Patient Collaboration Committee at the Japanese Circulation Association, where she advances joint efforts with patient associations. She is a board-certified surgeon of the Japan Surgical Society, a board-certified cardiologist of the Japanese Circulation Society, a board-certified Kampo medicine specialist, and a board-certified clinical geneticist.