******* The Final Report has been published on March 27, 2019.
For more information, please refer to the PDF.

 

Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the NCD Global Forum for Civil Society, Cancer Session – “Patient Leader Workshops for Cancer Policy and Beyond” and “Global Expert Forum for Cancer Policy and Beyond” on Tuesday, May 29, 2018.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, have become a major health issue worldwide. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, 39.5 million people died due to NCDs in 2015, accounting for approximately 70% of all causes of mortality. The fact that three in four of those deaths occurred in low- to middle-income countries is also an urgent global health issue.

In September of 2018, at the United Nations General Assembly Third High-level Meeting on NCDs, a Political Declaration was adopted by member states including Japan.

In order to confront the current situation and challenges in NCDs prevention and control, HGPI will continue to promote this momentum as Japan’s official NCD Alliance* point-of contact. HGPI continues to facilitate global forums within each NCD therapeutic area to crystalize policy issues from patients’ perspectives, to propose necessary policies, and to bring together multi-stakeholders such as industry, academia, policy makers, and civil society including patient leaders from both inside and outside Japan. In May 2018, HGPI held a session focused on diabetes, and this subsequent session focused on cancer and the United Nations General Assembly Third High-level Meeting on NCDs.

* NCD Alliance: A collaborative platform bringing together over 2000 civil society organizations / academic institutions in more than 170 countries

■Patient Leader Workshops for Cancer Policy and Beyond

Organizers:
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
Japan Chronic Disease Self-Management Association (J-CDSMA)
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD)

Participants:
Patient leaders, members of academia and industry, healthcare professionals, policy makers, etc. from both at home and abroad

During the morning workshops, lively discussions took place on “The progress of Designated Cancer Care Hospital establishment and current issues” and “The status of palliative cancer care and the roles of stakeholders” in relation to the Basic Measures of the Cancer Control Act, as well as on “The challenges of employment support and the roles of stakeholders” and “The rising cost of pharmaceutical products/medical devices and the actual situation/issues associated with treatment costs” as policy issues that cut across NCDs.

■Global Expert Forum for Cancer Policy and Beyond

During the Global Expert Forum, multi-stakeholders from both inside and outside Japan reflected on issues raised during the workshops, and discussions were held on the co-creation of patient-centered cancer policies as well as the future of sustainable healthcare systems. Opinions were also exchanged regarding foreign and domestic initiatives being taken in the fight against cancer as well as on the United Nations General Assembly Third High-level Meeting on NCDs.

Welcoming Remarks
 Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, HGPI)

Report from Patient Leader Workshops and Opinion Exchange
 Hiroki Takeda (Executive Director, Japan Chronic Disease Self-Management Association (J-CDSMA))

Keynote Address: Cancer Policy in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)
 Masahiro Sasaki (Director, Cancer and Disease Control Division, Health Service Bureau, MHLW)

Special Session 1: Cancer Policy and Patient Voices from a Global Perspective
 Kathy Oliver (Co-Director and Chair, International Brain Tumor Alliance (IBTA))

Special Session 2: Civil Society Participation in the United Nations General Assembly Third High-level Meeting on NCDs
 Nina Renshaw (Policy and Advocacy Director, NCD Alliance)

Panel Discussion:
Patient Involvement in Cancer Policy-Making for Sustainable Healthcare Systems

Panelists:
 Shinsuke Amano (Chair, The Japan Federation of Cancer Patient Groups)
 Kathy Oliver (Co-Director and Chair, International Brain Tumor Alliance (IBTA))
 Kenneth Thorpe (Chairman, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD))
 Amadou Diarra (Vice President, Global Policy and Governmental Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb)
 Hanako Jimi (House of Councillors)

Moderator:
 Hiroko Nishimoto (Manager, HGPI)