Japan Leads the Way in Global Health Diplomacy: The Case of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Daisuke Akimoto
Abstract:
This issue brief aims to investigate Japan’s policy toward “neglected tropical diseases” (NTDs) in light of Japan’s global health diplomacy. It confirms the significance of the so-called ‘Hashimoto Initiative’ as the origin of Japan’s global health diplomacy toward NTDs. This issue brief looks at the three cases of NTDs in Japan, i.e. dengue fever, Hansen’s disease, and lymphatic filariasis, and how Japan succeeded in controlling and eradicating the diseases domestically. It then examines the significance of the establishment of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) in relation to Japan’s global health diplomacy. Finally, it explores the future scenario of Japan’s global health diplomacy to control and eradicate NTDs at the G7 Hiroshima Summit to be hosted by the Kishida administration in May 2023.
Related Publications
-
Understanding North Korea’s Resilience through Economy, Laws and Governance: a review of introductory sources and essential monographs
This article reviews contributions that may help researchers re-evaluate the question of the North Korea’s remarkable resilience in spite of its undeniable economic failure, a seemingly obscure legal system, and […]
-
Abandoning Neutrality, Absorbing Multipolarity: India and Sweden by 2047
Pragmatism and polarised positioning have become the new normal in foreign policy decision making – and Sweden and India are no exception. Sweden moved away from and perhaps permanently abandoned […]
-
Indo-Pacific Security in 2030-35: Links in the Chain
In recent years, events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have brought global supply chains squarely under the spotlight. The economic impact of these disruptive events exposed the […]
-
What Comes Next for North Korea-Russia Relations?
North Korea and Russia have taken their relations to a new level after the leaders of the two countries held an in-person summit meeting on Wednesday. While Pyongyang and Moscow […]
-
South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the IPEF: Convergence and Commonality
For some time now, the existing multilateral networks such as those of the United Nations (UN) system have been largely ineffective in providing good global governance and helping create resilience, […]
-
China in Eurasia: Revisiting BRI amidst the Russia-Ukraine Crisis
This paper discusses China’s trade and connectivity plans under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Eurasian region and the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Chinese […]