******* The Final Report has been published on November 13, 2019.
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Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the NCD Global Forum for Civil Society, Stroke, Heart Disease and Other Cardiovascular Disease Session – “Patient Leader Workshops” and “Global Expert Forum” on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

 

 

■Recent Trends and HGPI Activities Related to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, as well as mental and neurological disorders, have become the leading cause of death worldwide, and according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), 39.5 million people died due to NCDs in 2015, accounting for 70% of all deaths. Globally, activities aimed at preventing and managing NCDs are gaining momentum. In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held the Third High-Level Meeting on NCDs, and a Political Declaration was adopted by member states. In response, various academic institutions and NGO’s, including the NCD Alliance, a global, collaborative platform, released a civil society statement demanding action.

To confront the current situation and its inherent issues, HGPI is holding a series of global forums spanning various NCD therapeutic areas, to crystalize policy issues from the perspectives of people living with and affected by NCDs, to propose necessary policies, and to bring together multi-stakeholders such as members of industry, academia, policy makers, and civil society, including patient leaders from both inside and outside Japan. In 2018, HGPI organized forums for experts as well as workshops for leaders with lived experience, focused on the individual themes of diabetes and cancer, and HGPI also organized a roundtable discussion on dementia.

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

 

■Overview of the “NCD Global Forum for Civil Society: Stroke, Heart Disease, and Other Cardiovascular Disease Session

In Japan, the combined loss of life from stroke and heart disease is comparable to that from cancer, the leading cause of death, and it is expected to increase along with the size of the elderly population. In addition, health expenditures from stroke and heart disease comprise a significant fraction of the total national medical expenditure, thus representing an issue of pressing national importance. In 2007, for the first time in Japan, HGPI conducted a patient awareness survey on heart disease policies, and in 2009, the Institute conducted Japan’s first “Stroke Patient Awareness Survey” on stroke policies, disseminating the findings both at home and abroad. In 2011, HGPI also organized a “Stroke Policy Forum” for Diet Members and relevant stakeholders, providing a platform for the creation of citizen-led policy recommendations.

Finally, in December 2018, with the goal of extending healthy longevity, Japan established the Basic Act On Stroke, Heart Disease and Other Cardiovascular Disease Measures, promoting a comprehensive approach in the fight against these diseases. The Council for the Promotion of Stroke and Heart Disease and Other Cardio vascular Disease Measures, composed of multi-stakeholders including patient groups, was established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Stroke, Heart Disease, and Other Cardiovascular Disease Measure Promotion Plans are set to be drafted by national and regional governments.

Given the momentum gathering around stroke, heart disease and other cardiovascular disease measures such as these, HGPI held a workshop for leaders of lived experience and a global expert forum focusing on this therapeutic area. While crystalizing patient-centered policy issues that need to be reflected in the Stroke, Heart Disease, and Other Cardiovascular Disease Measure Promotion Plans, the workshop aimed to deepen understanding of the concerns that cut across NCDs. Through presentations of best practices as well as a panel discussion, the global expert forum advanced discussions on the future of stroke, heart disease and other cardiovascular disease measures and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

■Stroke, Heart Disease and Other Cardiovascular Disease Session: Workshop

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

Collaborator:
Power to the People with Chronic Conditions (PPeCC)

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

The workshop opened with an address on “Japan’s Basic Act on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Measures—Key Developments and Future Outlook,” providing an overall picture of the path taken en route to the law’s establishment. Participants subsequently took part in a lively, multi-stakeholder discussion entitled “Ensuring Patient Engagement and Co-Creation for Stroke, Heart Disease and Other CVDs—Applying Best Practices in Light of the Basic Act on Stroke and CVD Measures.” Opinions were shared on necessary next steps, not only for elevating the patient voice in policy-making based on lessons learned from Japan’s Cancer Control Act, but also for strengthening patient advocacy by transcending respective differences in therapeutic area, generation, and status.

 

 

■ Stroke, Heart Disease and Other Cardiovascular Disease Session: Global Expert Forum

During the global expert forum, multi-stakeholders representing both Japan and abroad reflected on points raised during the morning workshop, and discussions took place aimed at person-centered systems of healthcare delivery. As the fourth and final NCD Forum of FY2018, this event offered the opportunity not only to introduce numerous CVD initiatives from both inside and outside Japan, but also to further develop discussions in light of previous events and to reconfirm the fact that common concerns cut across NCD therapeutic areas.

Welcoming Remarks ・Introduction
Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, Health and Global Policy Institute)

Keynote Address:
Development of the Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease Measure Promotion Plan—Next Steps
Masahiro Sasaki (Director, Cancer and Disease Control Division, Health Service Bureau, MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare))

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

Roundtable Discussion:
Creating a Patient-Centered Healthcare Delivery System for Stroke, Heart Disease and Other CVDs

Roundtable Participants:
Midori Ishii (House of Councillors, National Diet of Japan)
Mitsuaki Isobe (President, Sakakibara Heart Institute, Japan Research Promotion Society for Cardiovascular Diseases)
Hiroyuki Kawakatsu (Board Member, Japan Stroke Association, Mitsui Sumitomo Aioi Life Insurance Co., Ltd.)
Haruko Yamamoto (Vice President, Japan Stroke Association / Executive Adviser to President, Director, Neurologist Center for Advancing Clinical and Translational Sciences, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center)
Wil Woan (CEO, Heart Valve Voice)
Huimin Wang (Corporate Vice President, Japan, Asia and Pacific, Edwards Lifesciences)
Sarah Belson (International Development Manager, World Stroke Organization/ Stroke Association UK)
Lisa Deck (National Spokesperson, Go Red for Women, American Heart Association)

Moderator：
Shunichiro Kurita（Senior Associate, HGPI）