Six Pillars of FGFJ Activities
Friends of the Global Fund, Japan (FGFJ) supports the Global Fund by creating an enabling environment in Japan for an effective response to the spread of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other communicable diseases. However, tackling infectious diseases requires a regional and global approach across multiple sectors.
FGFJ operates on six main pillars that are founded on the cooperation and support of parliamentarians, governments, international organizations, NGOs, foundations, researchers and health experts, media, and corporations in Japan and across the globe. Learn more about each of the six pillars below.
Policy Research and Dialogue
FGFJ provides information and updates on the Global Fund’s activities to political and governmental leaders, organizes high-level policy events on global health, and conducts policy-related research on Japan’s commitments to communicable diseases and on the Global Fund’s contributions in the areas of global health that are of particular interest to the Japanese government.
Policymaker Engagement
More than two dozen Diet members from all of the major parties in Japan participate in the FGFJ Diet Task Force. Co-chaired by Ichiro Aisawa of the Liberal Democratic Party and Motohisa Furukawa of the Democratic Party of Japan, the task force convenes regularly to explore ways to broaden Japan’s role in the fight against communicable diseases and to exchange views with leaders from around the world. FGFJ also organizes overseas study tours for task force members and other interested politicians to visit activities supported by the Global Fund so that they can witness firsthand the challenges posed by communicable diseases and the lifesaving role of Global Fund support.
Media Outreach
The media plays an important role in educating the general public about global challenges and responses to those challenges. FGFJ reaches out to media outlets in Japan to provide information on communicable diseases and the Global Fund’s activities. We also facilitate greater communication between the Japanese media and the Global Fund’s communications team. In addition, we work closely with the Global Fund to organize visits for Japanese journalists and other media representatives to communities that have been most affected by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria so that they can gain a more in-depth understanding of the challenges and of the changes that have happened at the community level as a result of Global Fund support.
Promotion of Corporate Commitment
Based on a strong understanding that no sector can win the fight against communicable diseases acting on its own, FGFJ encourages the Japanese corporate sector to get involved as well. Contributions from the corporate sector go beyond financial contributions to include donations of goods and services, technical assistance, and the integration of activities to fight communicable diseases into companies’ regular operating procedures. FGFJ actively encourages Japanese companies to form innovative partnerships with the Global Fund and develops case studies as well as organizes seminars on successful corporate engagement in the fight against communicable diseases.
Collaboration with Civil Society
All sectors of society in Japan can play a role in the fight against communicable diseases, including the NGOs and other associations that make up Japan’s civil society. FGFJ works closely with a wide range of global health and development NGOs in Japan, as well as organizations from around the world, to make sure that their voices are heard and reflected in global health–related policymaking. Activities range from co-organization of large awareness-raising events to seminars and roundtables on civil society’s role in the fight, and also to joint advocacy visits with key decision makers.
Public Awareness Raising
As the constituents of the policymakers that support the Global Fund, the Japanese general public are just as important in the decisions around Japan’s contributions to the Global Fund. Therefore, it is important that they understand both the urgency of the challenge of communicable diseases and the lifesaving role that the Global Fund plays in fighting their spread and impact.
FGFJ educates the Japanese public by providing information in Japanese about communicable diseases and about the Global Fund on its website and social media pages. We also organize awareness-raising events that are meant to appeal to a diverse domestic audience.
