On August 24–25, Japan hosted a ministerial meeting to prepare for the 2025 Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). The Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), together with Save the Children Japan, organized the final official thematic event, “Global Health Financing to Achieve Universal Health Coverage UHC in Africa: How to Promote Partnerships to Maximize Results.”
Held on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the event focused on how governments and various health funding agencies, including public-private partnerships and bilateral aid agencies, can collaborate more closely to improve the financing ecosystem in African countries to achieve universal health coverage (UHC).
The event began with a high-level dialogue on the expectations of African governments for Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to accelerate the country-led process of strengthening health financing. Following the dialogue, a panel discussion of stakeholders from GHIs, civil society, the private sector, and bilateral aid agencies highlighted ways to further enhance the current collaboration and partnership across sectors and their complementarity for promoting UHC. The third session was a luncheon led by Diet members who shared their findings from recent visits to Ethiopia and Ghana and discussed how Japan can play a more active role and partner with various stakeholders to support Africa’s UHC initiative.
AGENDA
MORNING SESSION
Welcome Remarks:
Mr. Isao Kano, President and CEO, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/Japan)
Opening Remarks:
Hon. Yasushi Hosaka, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan
HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE: “Values and Challenges of Collaboration Among Global Health Initiatives and International Development Finance Institutions”
Mr. Kiyoshi Kodera, Board Member, Save the Children Japan; Member, Global Health and Human Security Executive Committee, JCIE [Moderator]
Hon. Keizo Takemi, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan [Special Remarks]
Dr. Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage, Life Course, World Health Organization (WHO)
Dr. Teiji Takei, Advisor for International Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan
Ms. Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao, Chief Resource Mobilisation & Growth Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Dr. Magda Robalo Correia Silva, Co-chair, UHC2030; President and Co-founder, Institute of Global Health and Development
Dr. Monique Vledder, Head of the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Engagement Unit, World Bank; former Head of the Secretariat, Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) (ONLINE)
PANEL DISCUSSION: “How to Promote Collaboration to Maximize Results”
Dr. Ryuichi Komatsu, Visiting Professor, Nagasaki University [Moderator]
Mr. Fitsum Lakew Alemayehu, Liaison Manager to the African Union Commission (AUC), WACI Health
Mr. Tenu Avafia, Deputy Executive Director, Unitaid
Dr. Shunsuke Mabuchi, Head, Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health and Pandemic Preparedness and Response, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund)
Ms. Saeda Makimoto, Senior Deputy Director General, Human Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Mr. Ken Shibusawa, Co-chair, Triple I; CEO, Shibusawa & Company, Inc.
LUNCHEON SESSION: “Partnership for Achieving UHC in Africa and the Role of Japan – Insights from Ethiopia and Ghana Field Visits”
Ms. Yumiko Horie, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Save the Children Japan [Moderator]
Report from the visit to Ethiopia:
Hon. Rio Tomonoh, Member of the House of Councillors
Hon. Kazuhiro Fujii, Member of the House of Councillors
Hon. Sakon Yamamoto, Member of the House of Representatives
Report from the visit to Ghana:
Hon. Eiichiro Washio, Member of the House of Representatives (online)
Hon. Hisayuki Fujii, Member of the House of Representatives
Hon. Kentaro Genma, Member of the House of Representatives
Hon. Takae Ito, Member of the House of Councillors
CLOSING REMARKS
Hon. Ichiro Aisawa, Member, House of Representatives; Chairperson, Japan-AU Parliamentary Friendship Association; Co-chair, Friends of the Global Fund, Japan (FGFJ)
