N ati onal I nsti tu te of P u b l i c H e al th
Human resource development and research to improve public health—Aiming for a healthy and safe society—

National Institute of Public HealthNational Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
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Mission ofNIPH

With mark changes in the global environment, life in Japan today has become much more
complex and diverse with remarkable advances made in science and information technology. Against
this backdrop, the declining birthrate and rapidly aging population, coupled with the reform of thesocial security system, which includes pensions, healthcare, and nursing care, demand proactive
measures to tackle the various issues concerning national life and health.
thethis by providing training for staff at local governments and other organizations, implementing related
surveys and research to promote administrative health, labor and welfare policies concerning publichealth, healthcare, welfare, and the living environment.

PublicRealization of a healthy and safe life

Policyimplementation

Ministry of
Health, Labourand Welfare

Policy proposals
Provision ofscientific evidence

Collaboration,
cooperation

LocalGoev rnments

Human resource
development
About 2,100 trainees
each year

National Institute of Public Health

NIPH logo
This design, forming “H” for health,by the elements suggesting blood
cells or seeds,
is a symbolic representation ofblooming life.

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Information
provision

Database
operation

Entrance monument

Title: Junkan to Jōka
[Circulation and Purification]
This work in iron by the sculptor Yoshio
Shirakawa combines the primordial
shapes of nature—circles andspheres—to convey a feeling ofstrength, simplicity, and warmth.

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History of the NIPH
As part of a reorganization and prioritization of national research
institutes conducted by the then Ministry of Health and Welfare now theMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), the NIPH wasestablished as a new body in Wako City, Saitama Prefecture, in April
2002 through the merger of many organizations and functions of theformer Institute of Public Health and the former National Institute ofHealth Services Management plus the Department of Oral Science of theNational Institute of Infectious Diseases (excluding the oral infectious
disease function). Furthermore, to complete the move, a new building
including laboratories and an auditorium was opened in October 2004.
Initially the NIPH’s research framework consisted of 15 research
departments and one center. In April 2011, the changing needs of thetimes led to a reorganization of NIPH into nine research managing
directors, six research departments, and one center. In April 2018, theCenter for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health wasestablished, resulting in the current organization of seven research
managing directors, six research departments, and two centers.

The former National Institute ofHealth Seriv ces Management
The National Institute of Health Services
Management was established in 1949 within theFirst Tokyo National Hospital (now the National
Center for Global Health and Medicine) as theHospital Management Training Institute with theaim of modernizing Japan’s hospital management
and operations.
In 1961, together with improvement of theresearch framework, it was reorganized as theHospital Management Research Institute.
In 1990, in order to promote the systemization ofmedical treatment, it was again reorganized as
the National Institute of Health Services
Management with the mission of conducting
research for the diffusion and improvement ofmedical treatment and the establishment andupgrading of medical institutions.

The former Institute of Public Health
The Institute of Public Health was established inShirokanedai in Minato-ku, Tokyo, in 1938 to train
public health technicians and conduct research
relating to public health. It received financial
assistance from the US Rockefeller Foundation.

Organization of the NIPH

welfare services (Department of Health and Welfare Services, and the Center for Outcomes Research andEconomic Evaluation for Health), and 3) the living environment and safety (Department of Environmental Health) (see below the proposed change). In addition, the following departments have been established; the Department of Health Policy and Technology Assessment, Department of Health Crisis Management, Center for Public Health Informatics, and Department of International Health and Collaboramanaging director positions to conduct specialist training and research across each department (sevenPresident

Basic research concept in NIPH

Two major research themes:• Ensuring public health in response to the declining birthrate and aging population• Ensuring health safety and security
Functions that crossresearch domains

Researchconcerning lifelong
health promotion

Research into public Research concerning
health and welfare environmental healthservicesand safety

Research concerning
policy assessment
Research concerning
health crisis
management
Information support tofacilitate research
Research contributing
to international
cooperationHuman resource development and research

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3Vice President

Director for Planning andCoordination
Research Managing
Directors

Lifelong Health Systems

General Affairs Department

Health Guidance

Department of Health Policyand Technology Assessment

Healthcare and WelfareServices

Department of Health
Promotion

Oral and Dental Health

Department of Health andWelfare Services

Public Health andEnvironmental Management

Department ofEnvironmental HealthArchitectural Planning andManagement

Department of Health
Crisis Management

Healthcare Information
Management

Department of International
Health and Collaboration
Center for Public Health
Informatics
Center for Outcomes
Research and Economic
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Research managing directors, research departments and centers work together to provide employees; engaged in services relating to healthcare, environmental health and related social welfare services(healthcare services etc.) at local governments and other organizations (doctors, dentists, pharmacists,
veterinary surgeons, public health nurses, nutritionists, radiological technicians, laboratory technicians,
and social welfare staff) and people intending to engage in such services with training in the basic philosophies of healthcare services etc., basic and specialized knowledge and skills, and the latest information. Training comprises an advanced research course, public health expert courses, short-termcourses, and international courses.

L ong - te rm

trai ni ng

S h ort- te rm

trai ni ng

L i b rary

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S h ort- te rm

trai ni ng

I nte rnati onal c oope rati on trai ni ng

I nf orm ati on and S tati sti c al
A nal y si s R oom

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NIPH regularly evaluates and reviews its human resource development training, and offers a broadrange of programs that can meet the needs of society. About 2,100 trainees complete the training
programs each year.

12

Advanced Research
Course

The advanced research course isdesigned to train people with advanced
practical research skills capable of taking
the lead in independently searching forand developing the optimum methods forsolving the various problems on the frontline of public health.
Capacity: 5
Period: 3 years

3The public health expert courses aredesigned to train and foster people
capable of acquiring a broad vision andknowledge of public health and playing aleadership role as experts in solving thevarious problems on the front line of
public health using existing evidence.
7 fields (including health and welfare
services administration)
Capacity: 45
Period: 2 months – 1 year

4

Short-term Courses

The short-term courses proiv de people
engaged in public health, healthcare,welfare, etc. with the latest knowledge andskills relating to specific themes.
About 40 courses (including public healthand nursing course, regional healthcarecollaboration management course, watersupply engineering course, andepidemiological statistics course)
Capacity: About 1,900
Period: 2 days – 6 weeks

Public Health Expert
CoursesInternational Courses

Conducted in collaboration with theWorld Health Organiza tion (WHO), theinternational courses provide primarily
leaders in healthcare services etc. indeveloping countries with the knowledge and skills they need to fulfill theirroles.
3 courses
Period: 1 week – 1 month

I C T ( I nf orm ati on and C om m u ni c ati ons Te c h nol og y ) A c ti v i ti e s
NIPH is promoting the use of a distance learning
system to reduce the length of group training andimprove training efficiency.
NIPH is also promoting the use of ICT, including
the use of teleconferencing systems for interim
and final presentations of research papers in theadvanced research course and public healthexpert courses.

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Research
調査研究
NIPH researchers cooperate with each other in cross-sectional research aimed at improving training,

国立保健医療科学院においては、人材育成の充実、厚生労働省の政策への提言、政策立案に当たっての科学的根拠の提供及び政策の科学的評価等のため、分野横断的に、各研究者が協力して調査研究を実施していevidence
for the drafting of policies, and providing scientiic evaluation of policies nursing care demand
ます。
proactive measures to tackle the various issues concerning national life and health.

Examplesof research at NIPH
国立保健医療科学院の調査研究例
Promotion of lifelong health

生涯を通じた健康づくりの推進• NIPH supports health-promotion measures covering such areas as maternal and child health, lifestyle-related diseases, smoking,• 健康寿命の延伸による地域活性化を目指し、母子保健、生活習慣病、タバコ、高齢化、認知症、歯科aging, dementia,
and dental health with the aim of vitalizing local communities by extending healthy life expectancy.

保健等の健康づくり施策を支援しています。

Improvement of healthcare quality and safety医療の質と安全性の向上• NIPH supports healthcare policies from a patient perspective with the aim of providing safe, reliable and efficient services at• 医療機関における安心・安全かつ効率性の高い医療の提供を目指し、患者の視点に立った医療提供
healthcarefacilities.

施策等を支援しています。

Promotion of healthcare and nursing care collaboration

医療・介護の連携の推進• NIPH supports the formulation of prefectural plans, regional healthcare initiatives, and nursing care insurance (support) plans• 効率的かつ質の高い医療提供体制及び地域包括ケアシステム構築を目指し、都道府県計画、地域医with the aim of building efficient and quality healthcare systems and community-based integrated care systems.

療構想、介護保険事業（支援）計画策定等を支援しています。

Promotion of economic assessment of public health projects

保健医療事業の経済的評価の推進• NIPH supports the evaluation of the effects of specific medical examinations and health guidance, with the aim of promoting the• 高齢化社会に柔軟に対応する医療費適正化の促進を目指し、特定健康診査と特定保健指導の効果検
optimizationof healthcare spending to flexibly respond to Japan’s aging population.

証等を支援しています。

Improvementof the living environment
生活環境の改善• NIPH supports measures to address the causes of various health hazards in the living environment (water supplies, building• 生活環境の質の向上を目指し、生活環境における様々な健康影響要因（飲料水、建築環境、電磁波、environment,radio waves, microorganisms, etc.) with the aim of improving the quality of the living environment.

微生物等）への対策を支援しています。

Promotion of health crisis management

健康危機管理の推進• NIPH supports the drafting of policies and the collection and provision of information concerning phenomena that cause health• 公衆衛生上の脅威に対する適切な対策の促進、健康危機の回避・軽減を目指し、健康危機をもたらす
crises (naturaldisasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and wind and flood damage, infectious diseases, radiation,etc.) with 事象（地震・火山・風水害等の自然災害、感染症、放射線等）への政策立案及び情報収集提供を支援
the aim of promoting appropriate measures to address future threats to public health and try to avoid or as much as
しています。
possible reduce
the potential health crises.

Changes in the number of research themes
研究課題数の推移（競争的研究資金）(competitiveresearchfunding)
NIPH strives to secure priority
一般会計による重点資金及び基funding and basic funding from
盤的資金の獲得とともに、厚生労General Accounts, and competitive働科学研究事業、文部科学省科学research funding from such
研究費助成事業等の競争的研究資
researchgrants as the health,金の積極的な獲得に努めています。
laborand sciences research grant,
国立保健医療科学院の競争的研andMinistry of Education,Culture,Sports, Science and Tech究資金による研究課題数の推移は、
nologyscientiic research grant.
右図のとおりです。
The graph on the right showschanges in the number of NIPH
research themes through competitive funding.

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競 争C 的研 e究課re題se 数
h angs i資n th金e のnu m 研b 究
e r ofarcのh 推
proj移e c tsth rou g h c om pe ti ti v e re se arc h f u nd i ng

No. of projects
150

10092

109 114132 126 128
117 125152

161 1691405002008 2009 20102021222011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019232425Year

2627282 9 30
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International Cooperation
International cooperation in public health is critical, NIPH actively implements training and contributes to the formulation of international policies in cooperation with WHO, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Four
special �ields and the NIPH Library are registered as WHO Collaborating Centres, and through thesecenters, NIPH promotes research in healthcare services etc. in collaboration with WHO Headquarters,
WHO Western Paci�ic Regional Of�ice, and others. Moreover, at the request of various countries, NIPH
has concluded research agreements (MOU), sponsors trainee and researcher exchanges, and holds
research conferences and symposiums nursing care demand proactive measures to tackle thevarious issues concerning national life and health.
WHO Collaborating Centres

Y eYear
offDesignation

WHO Collaborating Centre for Integrated
People-Centred Service Delivery
Department of International Health and Collaboration

1986

Conduct collaborative research with WHO Western
Pacific Regional Office concerning systems for theprovision of public health and healthcare services.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Water Supplyand Sanitation
Department of Environmental Health (WaterManagement)

1986

Contribute to improving drinking water and sanitation indeveloping countries, and conduct dissemination andeducational activities on water safety in cooperation withWHO Western Pacific Regional Office.

WHO Collaborating Centre on Tobacco Testing andResearch
Department of Environmental Health (Public Health andEnvironmental Management)

2014

Develop methods of analyzing tobacco products.

WHO Reference Library
Library Service Office, General Affairs Section, GeneralAffairs Department

2004

Maintain a comprehensive collection of WHO
publications, and make the publications available tothose with an interest in WHO (in principle, one library
per country).

ContentNIPH International Courses• Joint Courses with WHO Western Paci�ic Regional Of�ice (FY2018)
C ou rse nam e

N o. ofparti c i pants

C ou rse
pe ri od

Regional Workshop on Strengthening
Leadership and Adv ocacy for thePrev ention and Control of
Noncommunicable Diseases(LeAd-NCD)

24 days

Hospital Q uality and Patient Safety
Management Course

days

C ou ntri e snennnene e en

Cambodia,, V iet nameneeneeeee• Joint Courses with JICA (FY2019)
No. offparticipants

CourseperiodHealth Systems Management

122 weeks

Afghanistan, Burundi, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone,Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen,
United Republic of Tanzania

Social Security System
Strengthening Towards Universal Health
Coverage in Asia

11

2 weeks

Cambodia, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya,
Lao People’sDemocratic Republic, Myanmar, Nigeria,Senegal, Sri Lanka,Thailand

Health Policy Development

10

2 weeks

Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Sierra Leone,
South Africa

Course name191526-0708.indd

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Map of government buildings and guest house
Tokyo Metro: Yurakucho Line/Fukutoshin Line

Wako Station
To Asakadai

Tobu Tojo Line

Tobu Bus

Seibu Bus

NIPH
entrance

Wako Jurin
Park

Bus stop toWako Station

Legal Training and ResearchInstitute of JapanTokyo Gaikan Expressway

South Exit

To Ikebukuro

Kawagoe-kaido Road
Riken
Zeimudaigakuseimon
Main Building

National
Guest Annex
Tax College House

Training and ResearchInstitute for Court Officials

Bus stop from Wako Station
Tobu bus: Zeimudaigakko
Seibu bus: Zeimudaigakko Wakokosha

Dormitory forcourse participants
148 rooms

Address
Course-related enquiries:
Course Administration
Section

2-3-6 Minami, Wako City, Saitama JAPAN 351-0197
Tel: 048-458-6111 (Main number) Fax: 048-469-1573
Tel: 048-458-6187 Fax: 048-458-6112

Train• Tobu Tojo Line / Tokyo Metro (Yurakucho Line/Fukutoshin Line)• About 25 minutes’ walk from Wako station

Transport

Bus• Take Tobu Bus (和01) (about 15 minutes), and get off at Zeimudaigakko Bus Stop (3minutes’ walk)• Take Tobu Bus (和06) or (和08) (about 15 minutes), and get off at Zeimudaigakuseimon
Bus Stop (2 minutes’ walk)• Take Seibu Bus (泉39) (about 15 minutes), and get off at Zeimudaigakko Wakokosha
Bus Stop (3 minutes’ walk)

National Institute of Public Health homepage https://www.niph.go.jp/en/(Oct 2020)

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