World Polio Day Symposium 2014 Japan's Smart Aid and Global Polio Eradication Report 1. Event Summary (1) Name World Polio Day Symposium 2014: Japan s Smart Aid and Global Polio Eradication (2) Date Friday, October 24, 2014 4:00 5:30 pm: Symposium, 5:30 7:00 pm: Reception (3) Venue International Conference Hall (Symposium) / Multipurpose Hall (Reception) First Members' Office Building of the Lower House, Tokyo, Japan (4) Organizer, Co-Organizers and Supporters Organizations Organizer: Japan Institute for Global Health (JIGH) Co-Organizer: The Diet Task Force on Global Polio Eradication The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation In Association with: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ministry of Finance Japan, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Rotary International Japan Office, GPEI (WHO, UNICEF, CDC, Rotary International), USAID 2. Results (1) Participants Over 100 participants from the Houses of Councillors and Representatives, Japanese Government, Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, Universities, Rotary International, NPOs and the private sector, and including representation of health professionals and polio survivors.
(2) Program 16:00- Opening Remarks Hon. Kenji KOSAKA (Member of the House of Councilors/President, The Diet Task Force on Global Polio Eradication ) 16:05- Video Messages Dr. Christopher ELIAS (President, Global Development Program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)) Dr. Bruce Aylward (Assistant Director-General, Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration, World Health Organization (WHO)) 16:10- Panel Discussion Mr. Kiyoshi KODERA (Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)) Ms. Ellyn OGDEN (Worldwide Polio Eradication Coordinator, USAID) Hon. Professor Keizo TAKEMI (Member of the House of Councilors/Secretary General, The Diet Task Force on Global Polio Eradication) Dr. Kenji SHIBUYA (Professor, Global Health Policy, The University of Tokyo/President, JIGH) 17:05- Q&A Session Moderator: Ms. Kaori IIDA (Senior Editor, Economics News Division, NHK) 17:20- Closing Remarks Hon. Kenzo FUJISUE (Member of the House of Councillors/Secretary General, The Diet Task Force on Global Polio Eradication) 17:30- Reception Special Guest: Mr. Hirotada OTOTAKE (Writer, member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education) (3) Minutes The goal of this symposium was to convene a variety of stakeholders from multilateral organizations, government, the private and health sectors, and academic institutions, to review progress and challenges in the global polio eradication effort, and to discuss the importance of smart aid and innovative public-private partnerships, and seek opportunities to improve the impact of Japan s ODA.
In the opening remarks, the Hon. Mr. Kosaka highlighted that the global community is now on the last mile" of the road to eradicating polio and we can eradicate the disease from the world. Dr. Elias then touched upon Japan s contributions to the global polio eradication project and expressed his gratitude to Japan through a video message. Dr. Aylward also expressed his gratitude to the Japanese public and private sectors for their contributions to global polio eradication, mentioned that such efforts can contribute to other infectious disease prevention and control including Ebola. He concluded his video message with a vigorous reminder that we must eradicate polio now. In the approximately 70-minute long panel discussion, including Q&A Session, that followed the video messages the panelists first reviewed the progress of global polio eradication. The number of polio cases has been reduced by 99% over the past 20 years. However, we confront a challenging situation in which the Director-General of the WHO declared the international spread of wild poliovirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations in May 2014. For the first time since the commencement of the polio eradication project, the poliovirus has begun to recover. The panelists also discussed the importance and impact of innovative partnerships. In particular, the panelists highlighted the loan conversion scheme implemented by the Government of Pakistan, Government of Japan and the BMGF, which was awarded the OECD s (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) DAC (Development Assistance Committee) prize in October 2014. The Hon. Mr. Takemi described how this innovative partnership was initiated. Mr. Kodera emphasized that the success of this partnership is based on the long-term bilateral relationship between Japan and Pakistan. Dr. Shibuya also underlined that the partnership was realized because Japan has a distinguished history as a world leader, using peaceful means to advance development over the decades. Rotary International Japan s long-standing efforts to contribute to global polio eradication through health system strengthening was also mentioned as an example of the Japanese private sector s significant efforts on this issue. Given Ebola virus disease is now the center of attention, the panel discussion also focused on how we have utilized our experience on global polio eradication, and how we should
leverage this experience to contribute to ebola prevention and control. Ms. Ogden led the discussion based on her experience visiting various countries where the Ebola epidemic has occurred, including Nigeria. She shared an example of Nigeria s efforts on ebola control and how the legacy of polio eradication contributed. She also mentioned that this experience can also be deployable to humanitarian aid such as reconstruction support from earthquake. The panel discussion was concluded by agreeing that the need for further adovocacy for global polio eradication is high, particularly in Japan, and the importance of cost effective or strategic investment in development of so-called smart aid as typified by polio eradication. All partners will continue to tackle major global health issues including polio based on traditional as well as innovative partnerships. The symposium was concluded by the Hon. Dr. Fujisue s closing remarks stated that Japan will continue to contribute to realize a world built on the concept of human security, where all people have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want of not being able to be vaccienated or to receive health care services in need. The reception followed the symposium, welcoming Mr. Ototake, as a special guest who expressed his sincere gratitude to all patners who have contributed to global polio eradication up to today. The symposium and reception were extremely successful, and gave all participants an opportunity to showcase the achievements of the global polio eradication project to date, and to refocus their efforts on the final stage of the battle against polio.
3. Photos from the Symposium and the Reception Participating Diet members Opening Remarks by the Closing Remarks by the Hon. Mr. Kosaka Hon. Dr. Fujisue Video message from Video message from Panel Discussion Dr.Elias Dr. Aylward Group Photo
Toast by Hon. Mr. Kosaka, Hon. Fujisue Speech by Mr. Ototake Hon. Mr. Aizawa, Hon. Dr. Fujisue Mr. Ogden and Hon. Ms. Makishima and Mr. Ototake Dr. Shibuya at the Reception With Hon. Ms. Makishima and With Hon. Mr. Taniai and Mr. Ototake Japanese Rotarians Hon. Mr. Mitani 4. Next Actions and Publications JIGH in partnership with other organizations will continue to promote global polio eradication efforts both internationally and domestically. The World Polio Day symposium and the reception were reported through various media, blogs and SNS such as Twitter and Facebook. Examples as of 6 th November 2014 Polio Portal Website: http://1action-polio.jp/2014polioday/ The Diet Task Force on Global Polio Eradication Website: http://polio-dtf.org/activity/archives/17 JIGH Website: http://jigh.org/news/jigh/1527 Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.jp/kenji-shibuya/google_b_6059490.html Reports: 1, Media: 5, Blogs: 4, Facebook: 4, Twitter: 4