On December 8, 2021, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held a global expert meeting which is titled “International Trends and Measures for Cardiovascular Disease in Japan – Creating Health Equity From the Perspective of Cardiovascular Disease.”

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as heart disease and stroke are a leading cause of death from illness in Japan and around the world and are one of the main reasons people begin to need long-term care.
Against this backdrop, the “The Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease Control Act ” was enacted in December 2018 and came into effect in December 2019 after many years of diligent efforts from parties in industry, Government, academia, and civil society. The Basic Act on Cardiovascular Disease Measures aims to promote the prevention of stroke, heart disease, and other CVDs while advancing the development of a system that provides rapid and appropriate treatment to extend healthy life expectancies and reduce the financial burdens of medical treatment and long-term care. After this law came into effect, the Government took further action by approving the Japanese National Plan for Promotion of Measures Against Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease by Cabinet Decision in October 2020.

Although a basic foundation has been established for the further advancement of CVD measures in Japan, the Basic Act and Plan only outline general principles and goals. Discussions must be held on what specific actions the national Government and each prefecture should take next.

In light of these circumstances, starting this fiscal year, we launched a three-year project to promote CVD control and to identify and propose measures needed to achieve national health equity in CVD control titled, “Sharing Best Practices in CVD Control from Local Communities for National Health Equity.” In the first fiscal year of this project, which will focus on the field of heart disease, we will gather an advisory board of opinion leaders and representatives of related organizations from industry, Government, academia, and civil society. Under their expert guidance, we will work to further advance CVD control by examining necessary measures and issuing recommendations for achieving national equity in Japan’s CVD countermeasures.

In this forum, policymakers from Japan shared the current status and future prospects of CVD control in Japan and abroad. Opinion leaders from industry, Government, academia, and civil society including members of this project’s advisory board and person Living with a CVD also took the stage to present best practices and lessons learned in Japan and abroad, particularly in the field of heart disease, as well as discussion points for areas that require future efforts.

■Overview

• Date and time: Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 9:00-12:00 JST
• Format: Hybrid format (in-person and online using the Zoom conferencing system)
• Host: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
• Languages: Japanese and English (with simultaneous interpretation)

■Program (Titles omitted)

09:00-09:10 Welcoming Remarks and Explanatory Introduction
 Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, HGPI)

09:15-09:25 Keynote lecture 1 ” The Current State of CVD Policy in Japan and the Role of the Parliamentary Association for Follow-up On Stroke and CVD Control Measures”
 Hanako Jimi (Member, House of Councilors; Executive Director, Parliamentary Association for Follow-up on Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease Control Measures)

09:30-09:50 Keynote lecture 2 “The Basic Plan to Promote Cardiovascular Disease Control Programs and Prospects for the Future”
 Masanari Kuwahara (Deputy Director and Senior Specialist for Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer and Disease Control Division, Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

09:55-10:20 Keynote lecture3　”Creating a Healthcare System that Promotes Measures  Against Cardiovascular Diseases – Lessons from Global Experiences”
 Rifat Atun (Professor, Global Health Systems, Harvard University)

10:25-11:45 Panel discussion “The Next Steps in CVD Control for Health Equity”
Panelist:
 Rifat Atun (Professor, Global Health Systems, Harvard University)
 Mitsuaki Isobe (Director, Sakakibara Heart Institute, Japan Research Promotion Society for Cardiovascular Diseases)
 Issei Komuro (Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
 Yoko M. Nakao (Director, Registry Promotion Office, Department of Medical and Health Information Management, Open Innovation Center, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center)
 Noji Yosuke (Person Living with a CVD; Keio University, Graduate School of Sociology, Master’s Program)
 Yoichi Hoshikawa (Medical Coordination Officer, Healthcare and Welfare Department, Kagawa Prefectural Government)

Moderator:
 Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, HGPI)

11:50-12:00 Closing remarks
 Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, HGPI)