Okinawa International Conference on Infectious Diseases

1. As a follow-up of the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, Okinawa International Conference on Infectious Diseases was held in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture on 7 and 8 of December 2000.
2. Outline of the Conference

   (1) The Conference was chaired by Mr. Yukio Takasu, Director-General of the Multilateral Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Dr. Hideo Shinozaki, Director-General of the Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. Representatives (senior officials) of 60 countries and organizations listed below participated in the Conference. Dr. Frederick Chiluba, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mrs. Sinta Nuriyah Rahman, Spouse of the President of the Republic of Indonesia and Representative of the NGOs in Indonesia and Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health Organization delivered keynote speeches at the opening session of the Conference.

   G8
   Non-G8 countries
   International organizations
   NGOs & Private sector

   List of Participants

   (2) On the 1st day, countermeasures were discussed with respect to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and diseases of childhood. On the 2nd day, over all issues of infectious diseases including comprehensive approach to health and cross-sectoral challenges were discussed. Chair's Summary was formulated as the result of the Conference.

   Chair's Summary

3. Results of the Conference

   (1) The issue of infectious and parasitic diseases was taken up as one of the key issues of the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit. Okinawa International Conference, organized to follow up the G8 COMMUNIQUE OKINAWA 2000 of the Summit, has become the first occasion for discussion on the issues related to infectious and parasitic diseases with the participation of G8, non-G8 countries, international organizations and civil society including NGOs.

   (2) At the Summit, numerical targets were set on the major infectious diseases to be achieved by the year 2010, and it was agreed to develop an innovative partnership among G8, non-G8 countries, international organizations and civil society including private sector and NGOs, all of which are stakeholders for the control of the infectious and parasitic diseases. Discussion at Okinawa International Conference was addressed to the ways and means to operate and strengthen this new partnership taking account of the specialities and roles to be played by respective stakeholders. As a result, concrete action plans including priority areas, timetable and agenda for actions were formulated to achieve the numerical targets.

   (3) Japan took leadership by reporting to the Conference the concrete actions already implemented as follow-up of the "Okinawa ID Initiative"*, amounting to more than US$ 300 million. In response to Japan's initiative, other summit members announced their commitments including financial resources to be made available.

   * On the occasion of Kyushu-Okinawa G8 Summit, Japan announced the "Okinawa ID (Infectious Diseases) Initiative" for enhancing its assistance, with the target of allocating a total of US$ 3 billion over the next 5 years.

   Japan's concrete actions to follow up the Okinawa Infectious Diseases Initiative

   (4) Fight against infectious diseases needs continuous efforts with the long-term perspective. Italy, the next summit host country, will take over the initiative.