On October 24, 2025, Mr. Joji Sugawara, Vice President of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), participated as a panelist in the session titled “Shaping Health Policy in the Era of Climate Change” at the AMSA International Global Health Training 2025, organized by the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA).

AMSA is an international network of medical students that focuses on strengthening human connections across Asia with the aim of improving medicine and public health in the region. Under the slogan “Let’s connect now for the future,” AMSA promotes the development of future healthcare leaders through activities led by its national and regional chapters

In Japan, AMSA Japan facilitates connections among medical students through workshops, residential medical training programs, article writing, and the publication of a bilingual eNewsletter. Internationally, AMSA engages in short-term exchange programs within Asia, participation in international conferences, and collaborative events among member countries.

The Global Health Training 2025 was held under the theme “Empowering Medical Students in Policy through Policy Brief Workshop.” The two-day program aimed to equip medical students with practical skills to engage in health policy-making and advocacy beyond clinical practice, with a particular focus on climate change and health. Participants developed and presented evidence-informed policy briefs as part of the training.

During the panel discussion, participants engaged in a global dialogue on the health impacts of climate change and the role of health and healthcare policies in responding to these challenges.

Panelists

• Jeni Miller (Executive Director, Global Climate and Health Alliance)
• Joji Sugawara (Vice President, Health and Global Policy Institute)
• Ayunda Dewi Jayanti Jilan Putri (Medical Doctor / Public Health Researcher)

In particular, the discussion highlighted:

• Global policy trends at the intersection of climate change and health
• How scientific evidence can be translated into political decision-making
• The roles that medical students and early-career health professionals can play in policy and advocacy

Drawing on his experience in health policy and global health diplomacy in Japan, Mr. Sugawara emphasized that climate change and health are cross-cutting issues that extend beyond the healthcare sector to encompass the environment, economy, energy, and foreign policy, and that the involvement of health professionals in policy discussions will become increasingly important. He also emphasized that, in order to ensure that evidence is effectively reflected in policy, it is essential not only to generate robust research outcomes, but also to understand the perspectives of policymakers and the broader public, and to communicate findings in a clear and accessible manner tailored to those audiences.

These discussions closely align with HGPI’s work on Planetary Health. HGPI is a member of the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) and collaborates with international partners to promote health-centered climate policies. The session provided an opportunity to connect global policy discussions with the practical learning experiences of the next generation of medical professionals.

In the latter part of the session, student groups presented their draft policy briefs, and panelists, including Mr. Sugawara, offered constructive feedback on the use of evidence, clarity of policy recommendations, and feasibility of proposed actions.

HGPI remains committed to working with student organizations such as AMSA Japan and with early-career professionals to foster an environment in which the next generation of healthcare leaders can actively and meaningfully participate in health policy-making at both national and global levels.