2020
Joint Congress on Global Health 2020 in Osaka

Symposium Report
Neglected Tropical Diseases:
Can Japan build strategies for the next 10 years?

2020

2030

Organizer: Japan Alliance on Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd)
Co-organizer: SDGs Promise Japan (SPJ)
2/22/2021

TableofContent
Greetings from the Organizers

3

1.

Regarding this Report42.

Overview of the Symposium5（1）Background and Purpose15（2）Panelists

6（3）Program

7

3.

8

Main Points from the Symposium（1）Opening remarks from Chairman (Hiroyoshi Endo)

8（2）Introduction (Kota Yoshioka)

8（3）WHO roadmap for NTDs (Aya Yajima)

9（4）Panel discussion

11

Satoshi Ezoe, Global Health Policy Division, MOFA

11

Hisakazu Hiraoka, JICA

12

Catherine Kaseri Ohura, GHIT Fund

13

Takayuki Hida, Eisai Co., Ltd.,

14（5）Q&A

15（6）A strategy for the next 10 years? Panelist Comments

16

4.

Issues and recommendations for Japan - from the JAGntd’s perspective 18-1-

Japan Alliance for Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd)
JAGntd is a network that connects organizations, companies, and individuals involved inneglected tropical diseases (NTDs) elimination efforts from Japan, to promote Japan’s
participation in NTD control and to exchange information with global partners. The missionof JAGntd is to contribute to the control of NTDs by visualizing, streamlining and expanding
Japan’s contribution in the field. JAGntd is hosted by Institute of Tropical Medicine(NEKKEN), Nagasaki University.

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Greetings from the Organizers
The control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is one of the mostimportant issues in global health. The World Health Organization (WHO)has set a goal to control most of the NTDs by 2030, and in order toachieve this goal, it is essential to build and strengthen our network witheach partner organizations, including those from developed countries.
Therefore, in this symposium, we invited public and private stakeholders
involved in NTDs from Japan as panelists to share their visions andinitiatives. We hope that this symposium will help to rethink the current
state of cooperation in Japan and stimulate discussions on the future
direction and concrete measures to be taken.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to
SDGs Promise Japan for co-hosting this symposium, and to all the relatedorganizations for their cooperation.
Chair, Japan Alliance for Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd) Steering Committee
Professor, Department of Immunogenetics,
Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University
Kenji Hirayama

I would like to thank the Japan Alliance for Neglected Tropical Diseases(JAGntd) for hosting this important symposium at the Joint Conference on
Global Health 2020 in Osaka in 2020, as the WHO adopts a new roadmap
for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The global spread of Covid-19 has
led to the postponement of several NTDs control programs, and unfortunately
the proportion of the poor, which had been decreasing since the beginningof the 21st century, has been increasing. Global health cooperation is
becoming more and more necessary, and I hope that with your guidanceand cooperation, we will be able to work together to realize the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), Goal 3: “Health and well-being for all.”
Chair, Certified Specified Nonprofit Organization SDGs Promise Japan
Rieko Suzuki-Kitaoka-3-

1. Regardi ng this Re p o r t
This report summarizes Symposium 1, “Neglected Tropical Diseases: Can
Japan build strategies for the next 10 years?”, organized by the Japan Alliancefor Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd) and co-organized by SDGs PromiseJapan (SPJ) at the Joint Congress on Global Health 2020 in Osaka, held on
November 1st, 2020.
Four experts in global health and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) wereinvited to the symposium. In the panel discussion, the panelists first shared
the activities of stakeholders working on NTDs in Japan and the foreseeable
challenges ahead. The panelists then reaffirmed the need to develop strategies
and collaborate across public and private sectors to achieve the goals laid out
by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) roadmap for NTDs. We would liketo take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all those involvedin the symposium and to the panelists for their cooperation. Please note that
all names in this report are written without honorific titles.
The purpose of this report is to summarize and share the main points ofthe symposium, and to explore options to maximize Japan’s impact andcontribution in this field. The report begins with an overview of the backgroundand objectives of the symposium, followed by a summary of the main issues
raised, focusing on the contents of the panel discussions. Due to space
limitations, this report is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the
topics discussed at the symposium. In addition, at the end of the report, we
present JAGntd’s perspectives to strategically promote Japan’s cooperation in
the field of NTDs, based on the discussion points presented at the symposium.
The recent global epidemic of Covid-19 has changed the environment
surrounding global health. We hope that this report will support Japan’s futurecontributions and effectiveness in the fight against NTDs.

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2. Overvi ew of the S y m p o s iu m（1）Background and Purpose
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is the general term used to representa group of 20 diseases, such as onchocerciasis and schistosomiasis. It isestimated that more than one billion people worldwide, mainly the poor indeveloping countries, are infected with at least one of the NTDs. Combating
NTDs is considered an important public health issue to lift people out ofpoverty and is included in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). However, current measures are not sufficient to control andeliminate many of the diseases, and further global efforts are required.
Japan has been supporting NTD control efforts through various industries,
academia, government, and private sectors. However, although multiple
organizations and agencies are involved in Japan’s efforts, these activities are
implemented without a comprehensive strategy. As a result, it is difficult to
see the larger picture and for Japan’s contributions to be recognized by theinternational community. In order for Japan’s contributions for NTD elimination
efforts to be more effective and efficient in the future, it is essential to create amedium- to long-term strategy led by the government.
The WHO’s policy document for NTD control (commonly known as the
Roadmap) established in 2012 has played a central role in developing NTD
control strategies around the world. This year marks the launch of a newroadmap for 2021-2030.
The purpose of this symposium was to position the new WHO Roadmap as
an important document that will show the direction of the global NTD strategy,
and to deepen the discussion on the Japanese government’s NTD strategy forthe next 10 years. We discussed how the WHO roadmap can be utilized byrelevant Japanese organizations to develop Japan’s NTD strategy for the next
10 years, and the possibility of collaboration across the boundaries of eachorganization.
With many other global health issues, including NTDs, it is becoming
increasingly important to develop strategies to focus our limited resources onpriority issues. It is thus imperative that we clarify what Japan can do to makea significant contribution to the global fight against NTDs.
The opinions expressed by the panelists in this report are theirs alone and do
not necessarily reflect the intentions of their organizations.

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Chairman
Hiroyoshi Endo
Steering Committee Member, Japan Alliance for Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd)
Dean, Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University

Speakers
Kota Yoshioka
Deputy Head, Japan Alliance for Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd)
Assistant Professor, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University
Aya Yajima
NTDs Control Specialist, World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office

Panelists
Satoshi Ezoe
Director, Global Health Policy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA)
Hisakazu Hiraoka
Deputy Director, Office for COVID-19 Response,
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Catherine Kaseri Ohura
CEO & Executive Director, Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund
Takayuki Hida
Senior Director for Sustainability, Eisai Co., Ltd.,NTD Subgroup Leader, Global Health Group, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association(All titles listed as of November 1st, 2020)-6-

2.Overview of the Symposium（3）Program
Date & Time: Sunday, November 1, 2020 13:15-14:45 (90 min)
13:20

Opening remarks from Chairman (Hiroyoshi Endo)

13:25

Introduction (Kota Yoshioka)

13:30

WHO roadmap for NTDs (Aya Yajima)

13:40

Panel Discussion		Satoshi Ezoe, Global Health Policy Division, MOFA		Hisakazu Hiraoka, JICA		Catherine Kaseri Ohura, GHIT Fund		

Takayuki Hida, Eisai Co., Ltd.,

14:30

Q&A

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3. Main Points from the Symposium（1）Opening remarks from Chairman (Hiroyoshi Endo)
The purpose of this symposium is to deepen the discussion on Japan’s NTDs
strategy, taking into account the new WHO NTD roadmap, 2021-2030.

（2）Introduction (Kota Yoshioka)
The theme of today’s session is how Japan can incorporate the WHO’s
new roadmap and utilize it in its policies. In Japan, various stakeholders fromindustry, academia, government and the private sector are contributing to
the fight against NTDs (Figure 1). Particularly, the Japanese government’s
cooperation includes product development through the GHIT Fund, researchand technical cooperation by JICA and Japan Agency for Medical Researchand Development’s (AMED), financial donation to Expanded Special Project
for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN), which together isestimated to contribute about 3 billion yen per year.

Figure 1: NTDs-related schemes and key actors from Japan Source: JAGntd-8-3.Main Points from the Symposium
The question we would like to raise here is who is leading NTD activities
and whether we have a strategy for it. The topics to be discussed in the panel
discussion are as follows:• What are the roles and typical business examples of each panelist’s entity?
• Can the WHO roadmap be applied to the activities of each entity? What are the possibilities and challenges?
• What are the NTD issues that Japan should address by 2030?
• Who should decide which priority issues Japan should address and how?
• What are the areas for improvement and how can they be addressed in Japan’s overall NTD response?
• What ideas do you have for promoting cooperation and collaboration with other entities?

（3）WHO roadmap for NTDs (Aya Yajima)
Features of the new Roadmap
The three main features of the new Roadmap are: ① it evaluates the resultsof NTD control activities in terms of impact, ② it encourages a comprehensive
and cross-sectoral approach, and ③ it emphasizes the ownership of endemic
countries (Figure 2). In addition to disease-specific achievement targets,comprehensive and cross-sectoral milestones are also set here.

Figure 2: Shift from the old Roadmap to the new Roadmap Source: WHO-9-

3.Main Points from the Symposium
In addition, a heat map of areas by disease and sector that need to bestrengthened (Figure 3) is included in the Roadmap for efficient cooperation among
all stakeholders in industry, government, academia, and the private sector. This is
expected to induce cooperation that compliments the strengths of each stakeholder.

Figure 3: Heat map of areas by disease and sector in need of strengthening Source: WHO

The role of the WHO
The WHO’s role is to develop actionable and evidence-based control
programs and to support countries in their implementation. This includes
supporting to strengthen health systems and coordinating at various levels
with all stakeholders to achieve the goals of the Roadmap.

To achieve the goals of the Roadmap
For each of the 20 NTDs, there is a longitudinal process of drug
development, manufacturing, regulatory approval, WHO guidelines, andcountry plans, and manuals. In addition, there is a need for a cross-disease
approach to strengthen national health systems in a manner that is not
specific to NTDs alone, including the strengthening of regulatory approvalsystems, supply networks, and the capacity of health workers. Based on a

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3.Main Points from the Symposium
comprehensive understanding, it is important to identify bottlenecks in NTD
programs and weaknesses in endemic countries, and to provide support in acoordinated manner that leverages the strengths of each stakeholder.

（4）Panel discussion
Satoshi Ezoe, Global Health Policy Division, MOFAThe role of MOFA
The government has been advocating the importance of countermeasuresagainst infectious diseases at various international forums, such as at the G8
Denver Summit, the G8 Birmingham Summit where the Hashimoto Initiative
was introduced, and the G7 Ise-Shima Summit. NTDs are challenging forprivate companies and organizations to combat alone, and public support isessential. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) has been working
with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), GHIT Fund, etc.,
and in cooperation with JICA, to contribute to global NTDs efforts from Japan.
In response to Covid-19, MOFA is promoting cooperation with theinternational community to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), aiming to“leave no one’s health behind” while utilizing Japan’s expertise in building healthsystems. Japan has already provided more than 170 billion yen in assistance andis taking measures to ① strengthen its capacity to respond to new coronavirus
infections, ② build a robust health system that can respond to future health crises,and ③ improve the international environment to ensure health security.

Possibilities and challenges of the WHO roadmap
Possibilities include: ① setting a common global goal and direction makes
it easier for countries around the world to work together; ② re-emphasizing
the need for a cross-sectoral approach will further promote multifacetedmeasures against NTDs, including water and sanitation, education, foodsafety, and housing environment; and ③ emphasizing the ownership of national
and local governments will increase the sustainability of the measuresthrough domestic political commitment and mobilization of funds.
The challenge is how to ensure the effectiveness of the Roadmap. This

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3.Main Points from the Symposiumincludes factors such as ① lack of know-how in planning and implementation;② lack of financial and human resources; ③ program delays and interruptions
due to the impact of new coronary infections; ④ realization of national and local
NTDs programs; and ⑤ strengthening the capacity of developing countries.

What are the NTD issues that Japan should address by 2030?
UHC has become a major target for Japan to tackle by 2030. UHC is a statein which all people have access to basic health care services at a cost they canafford. Achieving UHC is essential to address the more than one billion people
infected with NTDs who are unable to receive appropriate treatment andpreventive measures due to their economic situation, medical environment,
etc. In order to achieve UHC, it is essential to control NTDs, and conversely,
to achieve UHC, it is necessary to control NTDs. Specifically, we need to① develop and ensure equitable access to vaccines and diagnostic andtherapeutic agents; ② strengthen health systems (development and networkingof core medical facilities, strengthening of community health systems,
surveillance, human resource development, regulatory harmonization, etc.);
and ③ work across various sectors such as water and sanitation, nutrition andfood, education, gender, and infrastructure development.

Hisakazu Hiraoka, JICA
JICA’s role and contributions to NTDs
JICA provides technical and financial cooperation through bilateralassistance among its official development assistance (ODA). JICA has
cooperated in 14 NTDs, including the Pacific Filaria Control Project andthe Chagas Disease Control Project in Central America. JICA also provides
research cooperation through SATREPS, a joint program with the Japan
Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).

Cooperation with the WHO Roadmap
JICA can promote cooperation through a common foundation based in theSDGs, and in particular, if multi-sectoral cooperation can be implemented, themeasures against NTDs can be advanced. People affected with NTDs often
have various problems not only in terms of infectious diseases but also in terms- 12 -

3.Main Points from the Symposiumof their life itself, and they live in a state where human security is threatened.
We should promote cooperation from the perspective of “no one left behind.”

What Japan should do in global NTD cooperation
The Covid-19 measures are working to improve inspection, equipment,
human resources, transportation, and information systems in developing
countries, which has led to the introduction of new technologies and theparticipation of the private sector. These efforts will have a ripple effect on the
resolution of various issues, including NTDs. As for multi-sectoral cooperation, it
is possible to promote cooperation in the areas of water, sanitation, education,
economy, and society. For example, the spread of soil-transmitted parasitic
diseases could be reduced through water, sanitation, and hand washing, and
NTD infection could be reduced through urban development and slum poverty
control. It is also necessary to work on fostering ownership in developing
countries to build resilient health systems that can withstand any threat.

Catherine Kaseri Ohura, GHIT FundThe role of the GHIT FundThe GHIT Fund promotes research and development in malaria, tuberculosis,
and NTDs through international open innovation, connecting research
institutions in Japan and overseas. Since its establishment in 2013, the fund has
invested a cumulative 10.5 billion yen in 34 projects across 9 diseases for NTDs.
In addition to this, we are also involved in providing access to medication,although we do not provide direct funding. Together with the government of Japanand UNDP, we have established a framework called “Uniting Efforts for Innovation,
Access and Delivery”, and we are working to build a platform for universal access.

GHIT’s contributions to the Roadmap
The WHO roadmap heat map (Figure 3) shows a number of areas thatneed to be strengthened, of which the GHIT Fund focuses on the mostpressing technical components: generating scientific knowledge, developing
diagnostic tools, and developing effective interventions.

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3.Main Points from the Symposium
Takayuki Hida, Eisai Co., Ltd.,The role of Eisai Co., Ltd.
Eisai has provided 2 billion tablets of lymphatic filariasis prophylaxis to
28 countries. To date, the Global Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Program
has achieved elimination in 17 of the 72 endemic countries, reducing
the estimated number of infected people from 200 million to 50 million.
However, 850 million people, or more than 10% of the world’s population,
are still in need of mass medication, and we will continue to work together
to achieve the WHO’s goal of elimination by 2030.

Current status and future challenges of NTD drug development by JapanAn increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage ofthe public-private partnership provided by the GHIT Fund to engage in researchand development of NTDs drugs. For example, clinical trials for the treatment
of schistosomiasis and mycetoma are currently underway under the auspices of
the GHIT Fund. On the other hand, there are issues that need to be addressedin the future, such as regulatory approval of drugs, review capacity andmanufacturing technology in endemic countries, burden of manufacturing costs,
supply of drugs to remote areas, and management of inventory and usage.
The Roadmap assumes that pharmaceutical companies will provide drugs
free of charge, but this is not a sustainable supply model, and we believethat a global framework similar to that of the three major infectious diseases
needs to be established for NTDs.
Furthermore, capacity building of local communities is a common issue fora wide range of stakeholders. Currently, the Covid-19 epidemic has delayed
the control of NTDs in many countries, and there are concerns about
the spread of NTDs. On the other hand, Covid-19 has also strengthened
cooperation and information exchange among international NGOs andgovernment-related organizations.

Priority issues that Japan should address
Based on the successful track record of capacity building in the field of
NTDs by JICA and the experience of establishing the GHIT Fund, Japan
could take a leadership role in the field of NTDs in order to establish an- 14 -

3.Main Points from the Symposium
international mechanism for the supply of NTDs drugs. As a pharmaceuticalcompany, we would like to cooperate in such a move. It is also important tocommunicate the actual situation and progress of NTDs to the international
community, and as a pharmaceutical company, we would like to help.

（5）Q&A
Q1	Does the GHIT Fund provide support tailored to local conditions toensure that residents take therapeutic drugs correctly?
A1	Ohura: Although we do not provide direct support to the residents,
we do provide indirect support by incorporating efficacy studies in thedevelopment of therapeutic drugs.
Q2

How does WHO decide which diseases to put on the NTD list?

A2	Yajima: The conditions for inclusion of a disease in the list of NTDs are:① prevalence among the poor; ② high mortality and morbidity rates withsignificant social development implications that warrant action at the
global level; ③ prevalence in the tropics and subtropics; ④ existence of thenecessary tools for action (Category A); and ⑤ absence of such tools at all(Category B). When a new disease is to be considered, a formal request is
submitted by a member state which is reviewed by the WHO Strategic andTechnical Advisory Group (STAG) based on these conditions, while also
considering whether limited resources can be focused effectively.
Q3

How should NTDs measures be maintained under the influence of COVID-19?

A3a	Hiraoka: We need to strengthen the system of access and delivery of
medicines. One way to do this is through the proper allocation andeducation of human resources. In addition, as apparent in Covid-19
countermeasures, it is important to improve the efficiency of local healthsystems, especially in information collection.
A3b	Ezoe: It is important to raise the level of the entire health system, notjust the programs for each disease. For example, the UHC Friends
Group, a high-level meeting launched by the Japanese government,- 15 -

3.Main Points from the Symposium
released a policy brief on Covid-19, which advocates ① the importanceof strengthening core functions of public health; ② sustainable provisionof essential medical and health services that are interrupted by Covid-19;
and ③ ensuring economic access. NTDs are most relevant to the second
point.
Q4	What are the key perspectives for implementing new therapeuticinterventions in “places where there is no concept of disease,” i.e., areas
with traditional medicine and unique values?
A4	Hida: As for Eisai’s experience in dealing with mycetoma, in parallel withthe treatment, the professors at the University of Khartoum are teaching
the village chiefs and leaders the concept of the disease and how they
can be cured with treatment. It is important to have direct discussions
and steady activities using tools such as the radio and other media toconvey this message. For this purpose, we are promoting dialogue with
NGOs/NPOs and advising the WHO to convene traditional healers.

（6）A strategy for the next 10 years? Panelist Comments
Ezoe: The Japanese government has set the promotion of UHC as a major
policy goal, and one of the criteria for realizing UHC by 2030 will be whether
we can control NTDs.
Hiraoka: We need to draw up a strategy for the next 10 years. The growinginterest in infectious diseases, especially with Covid-19, is both a once-ina-century crisis and an opportunity. We need to consider how people frommany fields, including healthcare, economics, anthropology, and sociology, canparticipate in the fight against infectious diseases, including NTDs. In particular,
it would be good if we could formulate strategies while utilizing Japan’s
experience in overcoming malaria, filaria, and other infectious diseases.
Ohura: As to whether we can draw up a strategy for the next 10 years,
Covid-19 has heightened the sense of crisis about infectious diseases. I would- 16 -

3.Main Points from the Symposium
like to see if we can use the new mechanisms, processes, and connections thatemerged as a result of this, such as the ACT accelerator, for other infectious
diseases and NTDs. I hope that after this pandemic, we can leverage these
newly created mechanisms.
Hida: We need to think about what we will do in the next 10 years from now
on. The solidarity between stakeholders have strengthened and communication
has improved since COVID-19, and I would like to take that beyond thispandemic. I would also like to disseminate the achievements of JICA and GHIT
Fund and create opportunities for Japan’s presence in the global community to
rise.

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4. Issues and recommendations for Japan - from the JAGntdʼs perspective
The issue of access was repeatedly raised as a
future challenge: how to deliver medicines andservices to people in developing countries?
On November 12, immediately after this symposium, theWorld Health Assembly approved the WHO’s new NTD
roadmap for 2030. The world’s NTD control measures
will now evolve around the new Roadmap. In order forJapan to show leadership in the field of infectious disease
control, it is necessary to strategically develop NTDrelated projects in accordance with the context of the
new NTD roadmap.
This symposium showed that there are various formsof cooperation from Japan in the field of NTDs. Amongthem, the product development by the GHIT Fund has
become increasingly pivotal. If a new drug is born froma project funded by the GHIT Fund, it will be a great
contribution to the fight against NTDs.
On the other hand, even if an excellent drug is created,
it will be meaningless if it is not used. The issue ofaccess was repeatedly raised during the symposium
as a future challenge: how to deliver medicines andservices to people in developing countries. This will
require strengthening the capacity of health systems
and communities in developing countries, including
the effective use of limited resources, sustainable costmanagement, and the establishment of multi-agency
collaboration. If Japan were to face these challenges in
the field of NTDs, what options would it have?

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4.Issues and recommendations for Japan - from the JAGntd’s perspective
JICA’s experience in health systemstrengthening is a unique strength ofJapan and can be utilized to improveaccess to NTD medicines.
One of the approaches proposed in the panel
discussion is to support health system strengthening indeveloping countries to achieve UHC. JICA’s experiencein health system strengthening in developing countries
is a unique strength of Japan and can be utilized to
improve access to NTD medicines. However, we should
not simply believe that all health system strengthening
projects will contribute to NTD control. This is because
NTDs are closely linked to poverty. For example, Japanis supporting core hospitals in developing countries
as Covid-19 response, but it should be noted that thebenefits do not necessarily reach low-income groups, i.e.,
the trickle-down of health care is unlikely to occur.
To avoid this pitfall, at the policy level, it would be
useful to use the spread of NTDs as an indicator tomeasure UHC. Having NTDs is a sign that basic services
such as health services, water and sanitation are notreaching those in need. NTDs can be used as a yardstickto estimate whether basic health services are reaching
every corner of the society, i.e., whether “no one is left
behind.”At the project level, it is possible to involve experts
who are familiar with the health problems faced by
the poor, such as the NTD program officers of a target
country’s Ministry of Health, in the planning of projects.
Alternatively, in designing SATREPS projects, where
Japanese NTD researchers write proposals, JICA could
provide its expertise to ensure that the projects are- 19 -

4.Issues and recommendations for Japan - from the JAGntd’s perspective
Japan could also launch a global
financial facility to expand supply ofand access to NTD medicines.
linked to health system strengthening. In addition, Japan’s
cooperation in the field of NTDs would be more strategic
if it could focus on disease areas where new medicines
are likely to be created with GHIT Fund funding andincorporate mechanisms that contribute to improved
access.
Another approach that Japan could take is to launch a
global financial facility to expand supply of and access to
NTD medicines. Currently, most NTD drugs are suppliedby donations from major pharmaceutical companies. As
pointed out in this symposium, this donation model has
a limit, and it is necessary to find an alternative model.
Japan has the experience of establishing the Global Fundto Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and participatingin COVAX. If we can use this experience to advocate
an international framework for the joint purchase anddistribution of NTD drugs, Japan will be able to strongly
demonstrate its presence in the NTD field. In addition to
the G7 and G20, high-level meetings such as the UHC
Friends Group, which was mentioned in this symposium,
will be useful in creating opportunities for advocating suchan idea.
In the coming era of living with Covid-19, there will be
a greater need to select issues and focus resources invarious areas in global health, including NTDs. However,
NTD-related activities and projects in Japan is complex,
and it is not easy to understand and organize the whole
picture. In addition to those invited to this symposium,
various Japanese actors are active in the NTD field. At- 20 -

4.Issues and recommendations for Japan - from the JAGntd’s perspective
Advancing Japan’s NTD policies
requires a flat dialogue between
industry, academia, government andthe private sector.
the beginning of this symposium, we posed the question,"Who plays the role of a control tower for NTD programsin Japan?” Unfortunately, the answer to this question
could not be obtained during this symposium. It seems
that Japan’s NTDs cooperation will proceed without acommanding post, which indicates the importance of aflat dialogue among all actors involved, transcending thebarriers between industry, academia, government andthe private sector. We hope that JAGntd can facilitate topromote dialogue and collaboration.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to
express our deepest gratitude to the panelists and all
those involved in this symposium for their cooperation.

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Joint Congress on Global Health 2020 in Osaka
Symposium Report“Neglected Tropical Diseases: Can Japan build strategies for the next 10 years?”Published: 2/22/2021
Publisher: Japan Alliance on Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (JAGntd)
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University,
1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan 852-8523
URL: https://jagntd.org/
English translation prepared by SPJ Promise Japan.
No part of this document may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without permission.

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