Press Releases
Attendance of Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs IKUINA at the Conference co-hosted by the Government of Japan and Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
November 5, 2026
On November 5, the opening ceremony of the symposium (November 5-6) titled “Bridging Knowledge and Practice: Risk Communication for Public Health Emergencies in the Age of AI” was held in Tokyo, co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). Ms. IKUINA Akiko, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended and delivered the opening remarks.
- In response to the spread of pandemic influenza and COVID-19, Japan has been promoting the Public Health Network (PHN) initiative through ASEF to support the establishment of systems for the effective implementation of emergency operations in public health emergencies, especially by strengthening emergency communications.
- Following the recovery from the pandemic and in light of growing interest in AI, more than forty public health experts and other participants from Asia and Europe are attending the conference that aims to review the past programmes on risk communication during public health crises and to discuss AI-supported risk communication strategies.
- Parliamentary Vice-Minister IKUINA stated that, as the international community confronts multidimensional crises, public health is one of the principal frontlines of such challenges, and risk communication in the age of AI provides a practical response to outbreaks of transboundary infectious diseases as well as the spread of misinformation and disinformation affected by digitalization. She also noted that Japan has pursued the enhancement of communication during public health crises through ASEF, and expressed her hope for further enhancement of Asia-Europe cooperation through ASEF.
(Reference) Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) was founded in 1997 in Singapore as a permanent body of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). It engages in activities to enhance mutual understanding between Asia and Europe with a focus on the socio-cultural field.