Courtesy Call on Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by Experts in the Field of Global Health

January 15, 2008

　On January 15 (Tue), thirteen experts in the field of global health paid a courtesy call on Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for about 20 minutes in the Ministry. The summary of the meeting is as follows:

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL International Institute for Society and Health (Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London), explained the activities of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) and the international symposium “Global Health as Global Agenda.” Sir Michael Marmot requested Japan to actively take up and play a leading role in the issue of global health, especially matters regarding human resource development and health systems, in the TICAD IV and the Hokkaido Toyako Summit, and he asked Japan to play a leading role in these fields.
Minister Koumura stated that as the issue of health was of global importance, he respected their proactive efforts in this field. Emphasizing the importance of not only a disease-specific approach but also a comprehensive approach including development and retention of human resources, he expressed his intention to bring all stakeholders together to share their ideas and expertise.

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