Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the third FY2023 advisory board meeting for the Planetary Health Project on October 30, 2023.

Aiming to advance discussions on planetary health and to contribute to better health for the Earth and its people, HGPI formed an advisory board and launched its Planetary Health Project in FY2022. Together with our newest advisory board members who joined in FY2023, we plan to advance various initiatives centered on advisory board discussions this fiscal year.

The Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) describes planetary health as “a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth.” Recognizing that climate change impacts and environmental footprints vary from country to country, and discussions that examine these issues are being held in the field of planetary health and efforts to implement various mitigation and adaptation measures to address them are currently underway. Challenges facing Japan include frequent natural disasters and a demographic transition resulting from birthrate decline and population aging. Deepening discussions on these topics and implementing future solutions will require multi-stakeholder efforts to identify unique challenges facing Japan and to build understanding toward them.

Between the second and third meetings, the project worked on the following topics proposed by the Advisory Board and others.

1. [Policy Recommendations] Expectations for the 2023 UHC Political Declaration from a Planetary Health Perspective (September 8, 2023)
2. [HGPI Endorses and Cooperates in the Online Petition Campaign] “Net Zero Declaration in Healthcare” Initiated by Green Practice Japan (September 19, 2023)
3. [In the Media] “Physicians and Planetary Health” Japan Medical Association, JMA News (September 20, 2023)
4. [HGPI Declares the Ministry of the Environment-led ‘Deco-Katsu Declaration’ and Participation in the ‘Deco-Katsu’ Supporters] (October 16, 2023)

At the third meeting in 2023, three members provided agenda items regarding their awareness of issues and initiatives. The secretariat shared with the entire group the agenda items and initiatives from the first and second meetings, and shared information on future activities of the project. The participants then discussed their presentations and agenda items as a whole.

 

■ The third Advisory Board Meeting

17:00-17:05 Introduction

Shu Suzuki (Senior Associate, HGPI)

17:05-17:25 Sharing Awareness of Planetary Health Issues 1

Presentation 1 “Sharing Awareness of Planetary Health Issues 1

Ryohei Yamagata (Sustainability Manager, Medical Policy and External Affairs, Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd.)

Presentation 2 “Efforts of Japan Medical Association on Climate Change and Environmental Health”

Hidekazu Hosokawa (Executive Director, Japan Medical Association)

17:25-17:40 Plenary Discussion 1

17:40-17:50 Sharing from the secretariat

Shu Suzuki (Senior Associate, HGPI)

17:50-18:15 Plenary Discussion 2

18:15-18:30 Sharing awareness of issues related to planetary health 2

Presentation 3
“(1) The value of health capital in the global market surrounding natural capital”
“(2) Linkage between public health and planetary health”

Naoki Kondo (Senior Professor, Department of Social Epidemiology, Division of Social and Health Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University)

18:30-18:55 Plenary Discussion 3

18:55-19:00 Future schedule, etc.

Shu Suzuki (Senior Associate, HGPI)

 

(The third Planetary Health Project advisory board meeting in FY2023)

 

Advisory board members (titles omitted; in Japanese syllabary order)

Satoru Arima (DAIICHI SANKYO HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.)
Saori Kashima (Director, Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University)
Masahiro Kaminota (Director-General, Environmental Health Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of the Environment)
Taiko Kudo (Chief Engineer, Environment and Energy Division, Japan Weather Association)
Naoki Kondo (Professor and Chair, Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University)
So Sugawara (Representative Director, Green innovation)
Yasuhiko Suzuki (Director, International Joint Research Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University; Distinguished Professor, Hokkaido University)
Yukari Nakano (Executive Officer, Japanese Nursing Association)
Keiko Nakamura (Professor, Department of Global Health Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences (Medicine), Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Keisuke Nansai (Head, Material Cycles Division of National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES))
Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Makoto Haraguchi (Fellow, MS&AD InterRisk Research & Consulting, Inc. / TNFD dedicated SVP, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.)
Eiji Hinoshita (Assistant Minister for Global Health and Welfare, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Kenji Fuma (Specially Appointed Professor, Co-Creative Organization for Green Society, Shinshu University / CEO, Neural, Inc.)
Hidekazu Hosokawa (Executive Director, Japan Medical Association)
Yusuke Matsuo (Director, Business Task Force, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies)
Yutaka Mitsutake (Director, Japan Sustainability, AstraZeneca K.K.)
Ryohei Yamagata (Sustainability Manager, Medical Policy and External Affairs, Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd.)
Hiroya Yamano (Director, Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies)
Naoko Yamamoto (Professor, International University of Health and Welfare / Director, Global Medical Cooperation Center)
Chiho Watanabe (Dean, Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health; Professor, School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University)
Japan Association for Global Health, Students Section (jagh-s)
Asian Medical Students’ Association Japan (AMSA Japan)