(Report) Health Policy Summit 2014 On the Frontier of the Future for Japan and the World
date : 6/18/2014
With the 2013 House of Councillors election putting an end to the so-called “twisted Diet” and a period of stable government under the Liberal Democratic Party and its allies now set for the foreseeable future, health and healthcare policy in Japan once again stand at a major turning point. The Abe administration released its Healthcare and Medical Strategy in June 2013; however, neither the case for prioritizing these issues nor the practical details of any specific measures have been made clear to the public. Moreover, importance has been attached to the globalization of healthcare and the development of a new model of international cooperation is anticipated, but how Japan will position itself in this global context remains unclear.
At this year’s Summit, in addition to a comprehensive discussion about the health and healthcare policy of the current administration, we attempted to define Japan’s current standing in the international community in the field of healthcare in order to clarify the frontier toward which stakeholder can advance in order to build a strong future for Japan.
■Summary
Session 1 Key Points of the Abe Administration’s Health Policy
-Promoting the differentiation and linkage of healthcare functions, creating industries that extend healthy life years, such as health management and prevention services, and promoting R&D in the medical sector
-Continued discussions on the extent of insurance coverage, review of the cost effectiveness of existing drugs and advanced medicine, and medical reforms utilizing big data
Session 2 Healthcare as a Driver of Economic Growth
-Enhancing the overall capacity of the healthcare field through drug development, collecting and communicating good examples of local government and private sector enterprises, creating and utilizing high-quality datasets, and fostering young entrepreneurs
Session 3 Healthcare Innovation & Global Contribution: Japan’s Role in the International Community
-Improving existing medical technologies, supporting the development of the universal health coverage (UHC) scheme, and promoting R&D of therapeutic drugs and vaccines through the global public-private partnerships (PPP).
Session 4 On The Frontier of Japan’s Future
-Enhancing the medical and healthcare system in regard to current conditions of communities, and developing policies as a basis for competing on equal terms with overseas markets
-Always searching for and making changes and achieving solid results from what has been carried out
As discussed in this session, effective strategies require a broad, long-term vision and HGPI will continue to be a sharing platform for the most effective strategies while supporting and encouraging stakeholders to take the necessary steps toward real progress.
■Program
Key Points of the Abe Administration’s Health Policy
Healthcare as a Driver of Economic Growth
On The Frontier of Japan’s Future
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