TICAD 8 Official Side Event

Toward Solving Health Challenges in Africa－An approach through AfHWIN and Global Health Strategy
August 23rd (Tue), 2022

Event Proceedings

Office of Healthcare Policy, Cabinet Secretariat of Japan

Contents
Programme...................................................................................................................................... 2
Part 1: High-Level Meeting ............................................................................................................. 3
TAKAICHI Sanae (Minister of State for Healthcare Policy, Japan) ................................................. 3
Ali MRABET (Minister of Health, Republic of Tunisia) .................................................................... 3
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (Minister of Health, Republic of Ghana) .................................................... 4
Susan Nyamoita Mochache (C.B.S., Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Republic of Kenya) .. 4
KARUBE Jun (Chair, Committee on Sub-Saharan Africa, Keidanren) ............................................ 5
Part 2: AfHWIN Seminar ................................................................................................................. 7
Opening Remarks NISHIMURA Hidetaka .................................................................................... 7
Remarks from African Delegation Alassane MBENGUE ............................................................ 7
Theme 1: Contributions to Healthcare Infrastructure and Public Health .................................... 8
GRAND FOREST JAPAN HOSPITAL .......................................................................................... 8
Saraya Co., Ltd............................................................................................................................ 8
Fujifilm Corporation...................................................................................................................... 9
Q&A Session................................................................................................................................ 9
Messages from African Officials .............................................................................................. 11
Amad Diouf ................................................................................................................................ 11
Issa Makumbi ............................................................................................................................ 11
Messages to Africa TANAKA Kazushige .................................................................................... 12
Theme 2: Contributions to Maternal and Child Health & Nutrition ............................................ 13
Ajinomoto Foundation, NEC Corporation, and Sysmex Corporation .......................................... 13
Melody International Ltd. ........................................................................................................... 14
SOIK Corporation ...................................................................................................................... 14
Messages from African Officials .............................................................................................. 15
Amadou Doucouré ..................................................................................................................... 15
Barbara Clemens ....................................................................................................................... 15
Grace Moshi .............................................................................................................................. 16
Messages to Africa KATO Ryuichi ............................................................................................. 16
Closing Remarks OTSUBO Hiroko ............................................................................................ 16
Annex ............................................................................................................................................ 18

1

Programme2Part 1: High-Level Meeting
TAKAICHI Sanae (Minister of State for Healthcare Policy, Japan)
Her Excellency Ms. Takaichi Sanae, Minister of State
for Healthcare Policy of Japan opened the session byaddressing how the health sector has consistently been
positioned as an important theme for TICAD over theyears in order to realize human security, promote
universal health coverage (UHC), and develop
sustainable and robust societies. Minister Takaichi also
touched upon how Japan, as a friend of Africa, has
contributed over the years such as through technicalcooperation, human resources development, providing medical supplies, and funding to internationalorganizations. Under the “Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AfHWIN)” launced at TICAD7, Japan has
signed memoranda of bilateral cooperation with six African countries and promoted tangible projects, such as
improving nutrition and hygiene as well as training personnel, in three target areas: development of professional
human resources, provision of services and products that support healthier life, and creation of social andindustrial infrastructure. Minister Takaichi reported that COVID-19 pandemic reaffirmed the importance of
global health as essential basis for human security, and against this backdrop Japan formulated its new Global
Health Strategy in May this year, aiming to strengthen prevention, preparedness, and responses to public healthcrises as well as to achieve more resilient, more equitable and more sustainable UHC, and in order to achieve
its goals, Japan intends to contribute to international organizations and public-private partnership funds, promotebilateral cooperation, and strengthen partnerships with civil society and other diverse stakeholders. Minister
Takaichi stated that based on AfHWIN and the Global Health Strategy, Japan continues to contribute toachieving UHC and to further strengthen its relationship with Africa.
Ali MRABET (Minister of Health, Republic of Tunisia)
His Excellency Ali Mrabet, Minister of Health,Republic of Tunisia, explained how the health sector has
consistently been a crucial component of public policy
for Tunisia and a cornerstone for human and social
development. Dr. Mrabet also spoke about how thisevent was an excellent opportunity to discuss
cooperation between Japan and Africa and promotion of
public-private partnerships. Dr. Mrabet reported that
Tunisia, which already provides quality healthcare
through public-private partnerships, is formulating an action plan for 2030 that aims to ensure resilient capacities
to handle potential future health crises and build more equitable and inclusive healthcare systems. Remarking
that digitalizing the healthcare sector is an issue that the government cannot sidestep, Dr. Mrabet expressed hopefor closer and more targeted cooperation between Japan and the African continent with a focus on reforming3

the healthcare system so that it benefits all, achieving health justice, and improving healthcare capacity andquality. Dr. Mrabet also spoke about the introduction of balloon catheter technology with support from JICA,
surgical simulations, organ and tissue transplants, and telemedicine between local labs, as cases of cooperation
activities. He reported that a summit on investment in the health sector will be held in 2023 in Tunisia with theaim of bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sector and funders in the public health sector
as part of triangular cooperation. Dr. Mrabet closed his remarks with his hope that the meeting would result infruitful discussions in order to build win-win partnerships.
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (Minister of Health, Republic of Ghana)
His Excellency Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of
Health, Republic of Ghana opened his remarks with an
expression of appreciation to Japan for its many years ofcontributions to the healthcare sector in Ghana, and noted
how important it is to expand UHC with the goal ofproviding timely access to and quality healthcare services
for all the people in Ghana, as well as providing anappropriate level of essential care and health services.
Minister Agyeman-Manu spoke about PCR testing at theNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and KOKO Plus, a supplement to improve maternal and childhealth and nutrition, developed through a public-private partnership program between Ajinomoto Foundation,
Sysmex Corporation and NEC Corporation, stressing that strategic collaboration with new partners can improvewellness in Africa. He also stated that the challenge for Ghana lies in building a resilient health system, and thatthe government is working on building capacity in the healthcare sector with the launch of a health security
policy, so that appropriate preventive measures can be taken for potential health hazards and crises in the future.
The country is also considering collaboration and support in the areas of vaccine production and development
and has indicated their wish to position collaborative activities as part of medical tourism by expanding
investments and partnerships in healthcare. In closing, Minister Agyeman-Manu expressed his expectation foreven more innovation and partnerships with Japanese companies to achieve even better health outcomes.
Susan Nyamoita Mochache (C.B.S., Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Republic of
Kenya)
Ms. Susan Mochache, Principal Secretary in the Ministryof Health, Republic of Kenya, spoke about how the
Ministry has started to invest in a number of centers of
excellence utilizing knowledge and technology fromJapan, as well as in cancer and mental health treatment
facilities through the National Hospital Insurance Fund.
She referred to an example of a project on theestablishment of five regional cancer screening clinics infive counties supported by the Government of Japan and4how the country is working to build resilience in responding to public health crises in East Africa through theestablishment of a Japanese-Kenyan academic research institute. Ms. Mochache also stressed priorities for
Kenya in its universal health coverage strategy, including eliminating malaria, providing the primary caresystem and establishing community-based health networks in Africa. She noted that COVID-19 pandemic
served as an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of strong partnerships and collaboration, as well as theimportance of building capacity for producing vaccines, and storing and distributing pharmaceuticals in Kenya.
The Kenyan government is setting up the Kenya BioVax Institute and is pushing forward to improve access to
medicine in order to position Kenya as a hub for the production of pharmaceuticals. Ms. Mochache concluded
her remarks with emphasis on the Ministry of Health’s efforts for prevention, early detection and managementof the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as for improvement ofreproductive health and maternal/child health to reduce mortality and morbidity.
KARUBE Jun (Chair, Committee on Sub-Saharan Africa, Keidanren)
Mr. Karube Jun, Chair of the Committee on Sub-SaharanAfrica, Keidanren spoke about efforts to address
healthcare issues in Africa with the development of three
types of infrastructure: hard infrastructure (roads, ports,
electricity, etc.), soft infrastructure (development andimprovement of legal systems), and human infrastructure(development of human resources). Mr. Karube citedsome examples of improvements, including thedevelopment of baby food using soy beans grown in Ghana, use of CT scans in Zambia that help with early
diagnosis and 3D imaging to reduce surgery time, as well as the provision of sanitizers/disinfectants and handwashing practices in Uganda. He also remarked on Toyota Tsusho’s activities in the healthcare sector with theprovision of refrigerated transport vehicles for vaccines. Toyota Tsusho launched a test drive in October 2019focusing on the last one-mile delivery, a critical issue for logistics, using refrigerated transport vehicles capableof delivering an equivalent of 144,000 vaccine doses. The vehicles also received qualification under the World
Health Organization Performance, Quality and Safety standards in March 2021. Mr. Karube also commented
on the efforts of the Global Health Business Leaders Coalition, a group of business leaders from different sectors
who lobby Diet members about the need for increasing collaboration between the public and private sector andmake policy proposals to the Prime Minister. In closing, Mr. Karube expressed his commitment to share theinnovative technologies of Japanese companies with other countries around the world through public-private
partnerships, with a focus on the overarching goal of creating a future where everyone has access to medicalcare whenever they need and people all over the world lead healthy lives.
TAKAICHI Sanae (Minister of State for Healthcare Policy, Japan)
In closing, Minister Takaichi summarized the discussions and stated that Japan has plenty more room for further
cooperation to address various issues in the health sector in Africa and that Japan, with a good understanding of
the situation and its needs, will continue to commit itself to providing support through specific public-private
projects based on AfHWIN and to providing financial and human support in collaboration with international
5organizations based on Global Health Strategy. Minister Takaichi thanked the honorable guests, the audienceand those who cooperated to hold this webinar.

6

Part 2: AfHWIN Seminar
Opening Remarks
NISHIMURA Hidetaka (Deputy Director-General, Office of Healthcare Policy, Cabinet
Secretariat, Japan)
In his opening remarks, Mr. Nishimura Hidetaka, Deputy
Director-General of the Office of Healthcare Policy,
Cabinet Secretariat of Japan, spoke about Japan and
Africa’s long history of cooperation and highlighted thesuccess of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical
Research, established in Ghana in 1979, where it has
been actively engaged in research on infectious diseases
in Africa for over 40 years and is now recognizedglobally as a base for research on infectious disease measures. After acknowledging the successful outcomesand strong friendly relationships that are already in place as a result of the cooperative activities of professionals
and companies that are working in the healthcare sector in Africa, he expressed his hope that this seminar would
help participants gain a better understanding of the outstanding activities that are currently being carried out
under AfHWIN, accelerate African initiative, and strengthen relation between Africa and Japan in healthcare
sector.
Remarks from African Delegation
Alassane MBENGUE (Secretary-General, Ministry of Health and Social Action, Republic ofSenegal)Mr. Alassane Mbengue, Secretary-General of the Ministryof Health and Social Action in Senegal, expressed his
appreciation to Japan for the activities being carried out inAfricathroughpublic-private

partnerships

andcollaboration among private companies. He explained thatthethemesofthissession (building healthcare

infrastructure and responses to improving maternal andchild health and nutrition) are pressing issues that holdgreat interest for the private sector in both Japan and Africa. Although a number of projects are already inprogress in line with the AfHWIN initiative proposed at TICAD7, Mr. Mbengue discussed the necessity ofcontinuing to rise to the challenge to find solutions to these issues and that he hopes the friendly and cooperative
relationship between Japan and Africa can be made even stronger by sharing the wonderful expertise of Japanesecompanies. Mr. Mbengue expressed the intention to have an open mind for welcoming the involvement ofpartner companies and build systems that would allow Japan and Africa to draw out results together through thecontinual exchange of ideas.

7

Theme 1: Contributions to Healthcare Infrastructure and Public Health
Introduction on Specific Initiatives
GRAND FOREST JAPAN HOSPITAL
A substantial amount of Japanese equipment (x-ray
machines, endoscopes, variety of lab equipment) is used at
Grand Forest Japan Hospital, established in Kenya in 2013,
with the aim of providing quality, timely, and reasonably
priced medical services. A rehabilitation facility wasestablished in 2020, offering physical and occupational
therapy with an advanced and patient-centered approach.
Dr. Kenneth Otieno, Manager at Forest Japan Medical
Center in Nairobi, referred to financial challenges and organizational and social constraints as barriers facing
African countries in providing healthcare services, and recounted the problems with high out-of-pocket
healthcare costs for patients, as well as disparities in access to healthcare. He also touched upon the fact thatmany facilities lack funds to purchase medical equipment and pharmaceuticals and the challenges they face,such as undeveloped logistics systems and a shortage of radiologists, which indicate the need for collaboration
in local areas and research for healthcare professionals. An NGO called “Dream World Healthcare Programme”
was launched in response to this situation to provide medical exams, health checkups, and laboratory testing, as
well as education and training on medical care, healthcare and hygiene for people in Kenya who may not beable to afford to pay for their own medical expenses. Dr. Otieno also reiterated the importance of being unified
and shared his thoughts on delivering the best healthcare for all people by bringing together stakeholders fromdiverse areas to learn from one another and work together to accomplish specific tasks.
Saraya Co., Ltd.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
approximately 16 million people die worldwide fromhealthcare-associated infections (HAI), a figure that ishigher than the annual number of deaths from malaria, HIV,and tuberculosis altogether. In the face of this reality,
Saraya started to manufacture alcohol hand sanitizers
locally in Uganda in 2014 and provide educational
services to encourage changes in behavior by training
healthcare workers to improve their approach towards hygiene. These activities were supported by WHO andJICA and continued even during lockdown for COVID-19 as an essential part of social infrastructure. Three
years of collaboration to educate the public about hand hygiene to reduce maternal mortality rates has improved
hand hygiene compliance rates to 92%, with a significant reduction in the number of deaths from sepsis. Saraya
has also been working on a way to treat tungiasis, which is caused by sand fleas burrowing into the epidermis.
The company has developed a therapeutic lotion that is more effective than conventional medications and plans
to manufacture it locally at their factory in Uganda. Saraya is currently conducting clinical trials and has
8announced that it may be able to launch the product next year. Mr. Takeo Hojo from Saraya concluded bymentioning that although tungiasis has been included in the roadmap of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs),priority measures have not been taken to treat and prevent this disease due to a lack of knowledge and interest.
Saraya hopes to promote awareness, education and support activities on this disease through projects by
Nagasaki University and JICA and grassroots activities by NGOs and NPOs.
Fujifilm Corporation
Fujifilm’s contributions to healthcare began in 1936 withthe production of X-ray film. Today, they have expandedbusiness as a total healthcare company in the areas ofprevention, diagnosis and treatment. Mr. Masataka
Akiyama from Fujifilm Corporation reported on thecompany’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage
from the perspective of promoting women’s health,building a culture to promote health checkups andscreenings, and improving primary care. First, Mr. Akiyama introduced a project on training physicians that has
been implemented in Kenya since 2020 using SonoSite, a portable and highly durable ultrasound imaging
system. He explained that local physicians who have acquired the knowledge and skills on point-of-care
technologies through this project are now voluntarily spreading that knowledge to younger physicians andhelping to improve the standard of medical care, with a particular focus on health checkups for perinatal women.
This was followed by an introduction to a health screening center that uses AI, called NURA, which was set up
to detect health risks and lifestyle-related diseases in the early stages. NURA can return test results in just 120
minutes. Fujifilm’s goal is to create a society where anyone can recognize and learn about health risk factors
while there is time. Lastly, Mr. Akiyama introduced the FDR Xair, a portable X-ray device that helps with theearly detection of tuberculosis. The unit is lightweight and can be powered by batteries or with solar power,
which allows it to be used in areas where access to healthcare is limited, such as mountainous regions andremote islands. Fujifilm is successfully using FDR Xair in 24 countries around the world. Mr. Akiyama also
pointed out that the lack of resources (equipment, personnel, power infrastructure, etc.) at primary care facilities
in regions of Africa has resulted in overcrowding as patients flood the wards at central hospitals that should be
providing more advanced medical care. He concluded with Fujifilm’s hope to contribute to healthcare in Africa
throughout the entire medical value chain by improving the functions of primary facilities that provide
preventive screening and primary treatment with the introduction of products and services developed around Xray imaging.
Q&A Session
GRAND FOREST JAPAN HOSPITAL：
Q: You have mentioned barriers, but have you found opportunities to overcome challenges?
A: We asked various insurance companies for their cooperation because of the high out-of-pocket costs forpatients who receive healthcare services.
Q: Are there premiums for prepaid insurance? What form of payment do people use?
9

A： For example, people with lower incomes can access unlimited healthcare services by paying a fixed fee of
300 to 500 yen per month. Moving up the scale allows them to receive more extensive services.
Q： What efforts are being made to improve accessibility?
A： Unfortunately, there is not much we can do as an organization in terms of accessibility.
Q： How do you train healthcare workers in remote areas in Kenya?
A： We are implementing exchange programs with Japan at related institutions in Kenya to identify gaps andallow workers learn content that can be applied in local settings.
Saraya Co., Ltd.
Q： Do you have plans to develop therapeutic treatments that are effective in preventing soil-transmitted
diseases other than tungiasis?
A： Although we know that the active ingredient in the treatment for tungiasis is effective for scabies, we do
not yet have data in hand that shows how effective it is for other diseases, so we will continue our research inthis area.
Q： What kinds of awareness raising activities are you engaged in through public-private partnerships or among
private companies to eradicate tungiasis?
A： We are making an effort to share information through our participation in international conferences. In
Kenya, we are also working with local governments and NPOs on implementing awareness activities on diseases.
However, since people in 88 countries are afflicted with this disease, we need to cooperate and collaborate withmore partners, not only in Japan and Kenya.
Q： Working with local NGOs to cover other diseases can also prevent transmission before it occurs. It is also
important to cooperate with local communities, and integrate and coordinate activities with related organizationsin the insurance and healthcare industry.
Fujifilm Corporation
Q： Developing effective tools is one option, but distributing and selling those tools is another issue. What isyour company’s strategy for marketing, supply chains and local maintenance?
A： Fujifilm started selling X-ray film in 1936. Our supply chain and service network now stretch across theworld and we have many local partners and distributors in Africa. We use these networks to access local
hospitals and provide products and services.
Q： We must be able to share data and information and troubleshoot problems, but collaborating with otherprivate companies also offers opportunities to use each other’s channels. What steps are being taken in terms ofconnectivity, versatility and interoperability?
A： We recognize that each activity should contribute to promoting people’s health and improving healthcare.
For this reason, it is important that we continuously follow up and promote independent activities in local areas.
We are looking to build up relationships among local healthcare professionals by helping them learn how to use
equipment and training the next generation of physicians. IT will also be useful in sharing information among
physicians, as well as for remote learning and troubleshooting.

10Messages from African Officials
Amad Diouf (Director, Infrastructure, Equipment, Maintenance, Ministry of Health and Social
Action, Republic of Senegal)
Mr. Amad Diouf, Director of Infrastructure, Equipment
and Maintenance in the Ministry of Health and Social
Action, Senegal, commented on the numerous innovativetechnologies that are directly related to solving thechallenges African countries face. He said that the private
sector has played a very significant role in addressing
issues that not only apply to Senegal, but to all of theAfrican continent, such as the purchase of medical device
components, maintenance of equipment, and lack of technical training for medical professionals. Mr. Diouf
noted that Senegal has formulated an investment plan for 2020 to 2024 and is developing a system that will help
many residents access primary care. He also emphasized that the Ministry of Health and Social Action has alarge interest in public-private partnerships in the healthcare sector, adding that the environment is conducive
for private companies that have a number of innovative technologies.
Issa Makumbi (Director, Public Health Emergency Operations Center, Ministry of Health,Republic of Uganda)
Dr. Issa Makumbi, Director, Public Health Emergency
Operations Center, Ministry of Health, Uganda, pointed
out that health and health care are key components in AU
Agenda 2063, requiring inclusive development. The
challenges are still huge to achieving this goal include
maternal

and

child

health,infectious

and

non-

communicable diseases. In addition, the climate change
and extreme weather effects like, floods, droughts are
increasing. Dr. Makumbi noted the existence of barriers stemming from Uganda’s underdeveloped infrastructure
and weak healthcare system, such as the inability to prevent diseases that should be preventable, and the factthat some diagnosis and treatment can only be performed outside of the country defines our deficiency. He
added comments on expanding collaboration with the private sector to enhance diagnosis, prevention andtreatment in order to develop a productive population to attain our development goals. This is mutually
beneficial and re-enforcing.

11

Messages to Africa
TANAKA Kazushige (Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry,
Japan)Mr.

TanakaKazushige,

DeputyDirector-General,

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan, reported
that, in addition to the traditional problems of infectious
diseases, maternal and child health and nutrition, there has
been an increase in non-communicable diseases in Africa,
and that Japan is working to improve the standards of
medical care and create local markets in collaboration
with local African companies. He also noted theaccomplishments Rwanda has made in the field of maternal and child health by improving the standard of
perinatal care, and that an event was held online last year, Product Demo Day, between Kenya and Ghana topromote additional collaboration through the introduction of Japanese medical equipment. The Japanese
government also expressed its stance on continuing to help develop healthcare delivery systems in Africa andstrengthen business partnerships.

12Theme 2: Contributions to Maternal and Child Health & Nutrition
Ajinomoto Foundation, NEC Corporation, and Sysmex Corporation
The Ajinomoto Foundation, NEC Corporation andSysmexCorporation

engagedincross-industry

collaboration to improve health issues such as malaria andanemia and to solve the problem of stunted growth caused
by malnutrition. To start, the Ajinomoto Foundation
explained that they build up supply chain with local
partners as production and distribution of “KOKO Plus”,
a nutritional supplement in Ghana, as well as thedevelopment of educational tools to promote knowledge of nutrition and behavioral changes of mothers, whereapproximately 30% of 2-year-old children are afflicted by stunted growth. The collection of more accuratematernal and child information by local healthcare staff laid the groundwork for providing data-driven guidanceon nutritional health to beneficiaries.
Next, Sysmex, an in-vitro diagnostic company providing
products and services in more than 190 countries andregions around the world, featured the XN-31, an
automated hematology analyzer that is being used to help
with the early detection of malaria and anemia. XN-31 isa medical device that quantitatively measures the malariainfected red blood cells in approximately one minute, andcan also simultaneously provide CBC (Complete BloodCount) parameters, such as number of red blood cell and hemoglobin. Sysmex also offers training for laboratory
technicians on basic operation and maintenance, as well as scientific training for physicians, to support
expanding high-quality testing that will lead to early diagnoses and treatments.
Lastly, NEC Corporation touched upon its ICT-based
applications for health checkup and nutritional guidance
to overcome the problems of disparities in nutritional
conditions in children caused by the mothers’ degree ofunderstanding of nutritional education, variations in thelevel of health checkup and guidance offered by healthcenter staffs, and inadequate health data. ICT is expected
to help health center staffs visualize the results of healthcheckup, provide effective follow-up care, and improve their skills by standardizing the content of guidance.
The three organizations reported that this cross-industry collaboration in the public and private sectors canapproach effectively in changing the behaviors of users through identifying common challenges and gathering
each organization’s strengths and advanced technologies. They concluded with the hope that this project and
AfHWIN will improve the health of more people with the involvement of more private companies andorganizations among the governments of African countries and Japan.
13

Melody International Ltd.
According to WHO, about 2 million babies die inchildbirth each year around the world. With its lack ofobstetricians and hospitals and the low rate of mothers andchildren receiving medical checkups, the African region
has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates inpregnancy and childbirth in the world. A company with a
mission to achieve safe and secure environments for
pregnancyandchildbirth,

MelodyInternational

introduced “Melody i", a platform used to facilitate communication between physicians and pregnant women,
as well as its “iCTG” mobile fetal monitoring device that allows physicians to wirelessly monitor maternal andchild health in real-time. iCTG is equipped with meters to monitor fetal heart rate and uterine contractions, sowhen risk factors or abnormalities are detected, risk can be addressed early through remote diagnoses online. In
an emergency, a physician can make a referral to a larger hospital easily and prevent unexpected situations fromoccurring. iCTG is already in use in more than 250 hospitals in 12 countries, including Chiang Mai in Thailand
and the Kingdom of Bhutan. It was also listed in the WHO’s compendium of innovative health technologies for
low resource setting. Ms. Ogata Yuko, CEO of Melody International, also stated that, with a grant from theJapan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), they are working with Professor Shinpuku
Yoko of Hiroshima University and Castalia Co., Ltd. to provide fetal monitoring devices, share the knowledgeof midwives, and expand perinatal health checkups in Tanzania by equipping health screening vehicles with
SNS-based information sharing functions.
SOIK Corporation
SOIK Corporation launched business activities in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has a highmaternal mortality rate. SOIK Corporation’s CEO, Mr.
Furuta Kuniyuki, pointed out three challenges preventing
solutions for this problem, despite various innovative
devices and solutions already in place in Africa:
integrating innovative devices into routine operations,attractiveness to pregnant women and people, andfinancial sustainability. SPAQ is a platform that allows
all obstetric screenings to be completed using a smartphone. The smartphone app is used as a platform incombination with portable medical equipment, such as an echography, fetal monitors and biochemical analyzers.
By navigating the health screening process on the app, healthcare workers can check routine items withoutomission and review past records. Data is also compatible with other digital medical devices, which allows
healthcare workers to perform remote diagnoses. Mr. Furuta noted that it is important to make an effort toimprove the service quality of non-medical aspects and to make them more attractive to pregnant women andpeople and raise Antenatal Consultation rates. The ability to perform outreach examinations in remote areas has
led to increased profitability for medical facilities that have introduced SPAQ, which has a subscription payment
14

structure creating a financially stable business model. SOIK has signed a public-private partnership agreementwith the Congolese Ministry of Public Health, as well as memorandums of cooperation with Toyota Tsusho andOsaka Metropolitan University for the joint development of innovative perinatal healthcare services combining
mobility and digital health, and has plans to develop projects in Zambia, Malawi and Sudan. Mr. Furuta also
expressed his hope to create history with Africa, making Africa a world-leading continent where patients canreceive the most cost-effective services in the world.
Messages from African Officials
Amadou Doucouré (Physician and Director, Maternal Child Health, Ministry of Health andSocial Action, Republic of Senegal)
Dr. Amadou Doucouré, Director, Maternal Child Health,
Ministry of Health and Social Action, Senegal,commented that the maternal mortality rate has decreased
by 40% over the past decade and infant mortality rates arealso falling in Senegal, where numerous efforts have been
made in improving maternal and child health and humanresources training, but that achieving UHC requires
funding, strategies, partnerships and innovation. Dr.
Doucouré also stated that more people could be reached with the use of the products and services that have beenreferred to provide a continuous level of care. He also indicated that the Ministry of Health and Social Action
will also promote digital health policies with the use of cell phones and digital technologies to eliminate regional
disparities in the provision of care.
Barbara Clemens (Representative and Country Director, UN World Food Programme,
Republic of Ghana)
Ms. Barbara Clemens, Representative and Country
Director, UN WFP, Ghana, made reference to the publicprivate partnership in Ghana and expressed herappreciation to the Ajinomoto Foundation, Sysmex
Corporation and NEC Corporation for the innovative
projects on improving nutrition that have achieved bothsocial and behavioral change and helped to improvematernal and child health. Ms. Clemens also stated that,in the midst of the sporadic breakouts of COVID-19 and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, WEP islooking to build transformative relationships through strategic partnerships with the private sector to elicit
changes in behavior in society. She concluded with the desire to continue working with the Government of
Ghana in the areas of maternal and child health and improved nutrition with the aim of achieving thedevelopment of a sustainable society.

15Grace Moshi (Assistant Director, Nutrition Services Section, Ministry of Health, United
Republic of Tanzania)
Ms. Grace Moshi, Assistant Director, Nutrition Services
Section, Ministry of Health, Tanzania, spoke about how
the government is involved in improving nutritional
education using ICT technologies and is taking a numberof different sectoral approaches. Ms. Moshi also
explained that activities are being scaled up by bringing
together the government, development partners, theprivate sector and other diverse stakeholders. She
reported that, in addition to technical support from Japan, a business network of about 90 local companies in
Tanzania has been launched to implement programs to improve nutrition and provide education on health.
Messages to Africa
KATO Ryuichi (Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA))
Mr. Kato Ryuichi, Vice President of JICA, spoke about
the focus on healthcare cooperation in Africa as animportant area for JICA. Since 2019, JICA has worked incollaboration with private companies in Japan to solve
local healthcare issues in Africa through cooperation indelivering online seminars for Japanese companies
hosted by the Cabinet Office and the promotion of otherprojects in partnership with the private sector. Mr. Kato
noted the success of public-private partnerships as seen from the examples presented by the companies today,and expressed JICA’s stance on continued cooperation under the AfHWIN program promoted by the Japanese
government, with the development of even more effective cooperation activities and adoption of innovative
methods to overcome critical situations.
Closing Remarks
OTSUBO Hiroko (Assistant Minister, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan)
At the start of closing remarks, Dr. Otsubo Hiroko,
Assistant Minister, Ministry of Health, Labour, andWelfare, Japan, stated that the aim of TICAD8 is torealize UHC through sustainable and resilient societies
based on strengthening long-term investment in humanresources, and that these guidelines are consistent withthe basic principles of AfHWIN that is being advocatedby the Japanese government. Dr. Otsubo explained that
the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is working
closely with Japanese companies and institutions under AfHWIN to support healthcare needs in African16

countries through the provision of Japanese medical technology and equipment, in addition to providing
pharmaceuticals and medical services and sharing knowledge with countries in Africa. Dr. Otsubo concluded
the closing remarks with an expression of hope to continue efforts to share Japanese technology, knowledge andexperiences with the countries and people of Africa in order to find effective solutions to various healthcare
issues that are in line with local conditions and situations.

17AnnexPart 1: High-Level Meeting

18

19

Part 2: AfHWIN Seminar

20

21

22