Africa-Japan Common Vision on Health: Recommendations for TICAD9
2025
On August 20–22, 2025, the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) will be held in Yokohama under the theme of “Co–creating Innovative Solutions with Africa.” In preparation for those discussions, JCIE launched a project in March 2025 to formulate a “Common Vision” for Africa and Japan in the field of healthcare, offering policy recommendations that would engage industry, government, academia, and the private sector in Africa and Japan to strengthen the resilience of people and communities to health threats.
The Common Vision is premised upon the principles of human security and a people-centered approach, and it reaffirms that health is the foundation of inclusive and sustainable economic development. The objective of the project is to promote “co–creation“ that goes beyond conventional aid and is a win–win for both Africa and Japan.
To carry out the project, a working group (WG) was organized consisting of Japanese experts and several Japan-based African experts who have extensive experience in collaborating with Japanese partners. This group conducted interviews and online dialogues with various stakeholders in Africa to discuss the formulation of the Common Vision.
The WG was tasked with developing a set of concrete, cooperative actions in areas such as strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) capacity, addressing the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and improving access to quality health services with limited resources. Emphasis was placed on the mobilization and effective use of capital and the use of innovation, including digitalization, across sectors. The WG sought to identify feasible priorities for joint projects, policy coordination, and investment to enhance health independence in Africa, and to encourage collaboration between Japan’s external health policy and African partners in the context of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The Common Vision also aims to provide a roadmap for sustainable partnerships between public institutions, the private sector, civil society stakeholders and research institutions in Africa and Japan, looking beyond 2030, the target year for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Accordion Content
in alphabetical order
CHAIR: Osamu Kunii, Executive Director and CEO, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund)
Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Science, Ahmadu Bello University; Visiting Researcher, Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo; Visiting Scholar, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego
Olukunmi Omobolanle Balogun, Junior Associate Professor, Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University
Daisuke Imoto, DNDi Japan and Business Development Director, DNDi
Masaki Inaba, Co-chair, Africa Japan Forum
Kazuaki Jindai, Visiting Lecturer, Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University; Consultant, President’s Office, Allm, Inc.
Yoshitaka Nishino, Research Officer, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)
Shinichiro Noda, Director, Division of Human Capacity Building, Department of Human Resource Development, Bureau of Global Health Cooperation, Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS)
Shuhei Nomura, Professor, Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI)
Ryoji Noritake, Chair, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
Haruka Sakamoto, Visiting Associate Professor, Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University
Eiichi Shimizu, Senior Technical Advisor, Division of Partnership Development, Department of Global Network and Partnership, Bureau of Global Health Cooperation, JIHS
Muchanga Sifa Marie Joelle, Senior Research Fellow, Department of International Trials (DIT), Center for Clinical Sciences (CCS), JIHS
Tomoko Suzuki, Chief Program Officer, JCIE
Naoki Tomotsugu, Head of Executive Management, Department of International Trials (DIT), Center for Clinical Sciences (CCS), JIHS
COLLABORATOR: Saeda Makimoto, Senior Deputy Director General, Human Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
William Kwabena Ampofo, Executive Director, African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative
Awa Marie Coll-Seck, President, Forum Galien Afrique
Shogo Ishida, Co-CEO, EMURGO Middle East & Africa
Ken Ishii, Professor, Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo
Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Associate Scientific Director, Center for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
Salim S. Abdool Karim, Director, CAPRISA
Kiyoshi Kita, Professor and Dean, Nagasaki University School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health
Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, General Director, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ngashi Ngongo, Principal Advisor to DG on Program Management; Mpox Continental Incident Management Lead, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), African Union Commission
Peter Piot, Handa Professor of Global Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Magda Robalo, Co-chair, UHC2030 Steering Committee; President and Co-founder, Institute for Global Health and Development, Guinea-Bissau
Takuko Sawada, Director and Vice Chairperson of the Board, Shionogi & Co., Ltd.
Ken Shibusawa, Chair, Commons Asset Management; CEO, &Capital
Yoko Shimpuku, Professor, Global Health Nursing, Hiroshima University
Keizo Takemi, Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)
Amit Thakker, Executive Chair, Africa Health Business
Susumu Tsubaki, CEO, Asia Africa Investment and Consulting (AAIC)
Miriam Were, Chairperson, African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
