With estimates showing that 1 in 5 lives with chronic pain and loss of productivity brings huge impacts on society in Japan. Chronic pain is complex conditions and ones that is difficult to treat, it is highly evident that multi-disciplinary treatment and care is needed. With these circumstances in mind, in FY2022, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) compiled a policy recommendation entitled “Achieving Equity in Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment and Support Systems for Pain Management” based on hearings with patient advocacy organizations, healthcare providers, representatives of academia in the field of chronic pain, and other stakeholders. Issues that were identified included promoting education and raising awareness toward pain; establishing systems to provide specialized, multidisciplinary pain treatment; making primary care more comprehensive to respond to the complex issues of pain; establishing evidence and evaluation systems to gauge the effectiveness of various interventions; and the direction of comprehensive policy measures that encompass these issues.

Based on these previous discussions, this expert meeting focused on a policy framework needed to integrate wide variety of interventions.

The summary of this event can be found on the event report attached at the bottom.

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Thursday, November 16, 2023; from 17:00 to 19:00 JST
• Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
• Language: Japanese and English, with simultaneous interpretation
• Participation fee: Free
• Host: Health and Global Policy Institute
• Co-host: Japan Pain Foundation
• Sponsor: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) Global Health Innovation Policy Program (GHIPP)

 

[Programme] (Times are in JST (GMT+9))

17:00-17:10	Opening Remarks and Event Overview
	Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, Health and Global Policy Institute) Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, Health and Global Policy Institute)
17:10-17:30	Keynote Lecture 1 ”The Frontlines of Chronic Pain Treatment”
	Takahiro Ushida (Professor, Department of Pain Medicine; Director, Institute of Physical Fitness, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Aichi Medical University)
17:30-17:50	Keynote Lecture 2 “Global Trend of Pain Management and Pain Policy”
	Fiona Blyth (Professor of Public Health and Pain Medicine, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney)
17:50-18:50	Panel Discussion ”Chronic Pain Policy Needed for Strengthening Supportive Healthcare”
	Panelist: Takahiro Ushida (Director and Professor, Multidisciplinary Pain Center and Institute of Physical Fitness, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Aichi Medical University) Toshiki Mano (Professor, Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management, Chuo University) Takako Matsubara (Professor, Graduate School of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin University) Fiona Blyth (Professor of Public Health and Pain Medicine, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney) Yasuko Masuda (National Patient and Family Group for Spinal Ligament Ossification) Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd)
18:50-19:00	Closing Remarks
	Nobuhide Takemura (Member, House of Representatives; State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Director, Parliamentary Group for Chronic Pain)