Ahead of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), FGFJ convened a pre-TICAD roundtable with Japanese Diet members on August 19 titled “Fighting the Good Fight: Sustaining Health Programs for Infectious Diseases in Africa.” The meeting welcomed Mr. Bill Gates, Chair and Trustee of the Gates Foundation, and Dr. Abdoulaye Djimdé, 5th Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Laureate, and engaged Japanese Diet members, African ministers, and Executive Director of the Global Fund Peter Sands in a discussion on sustainability and collaboration in the fight against infectious diseases and Japan’s role in global health.
The first session featured speeches from leaders in the field of global health. Mr. Gates spoke first, praising the historic significance of Japan’s first ever health agenda at the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in 2000, which created a forum for discussing solutions with African leaders. He emphasized the importance of Japan’s science, technology, and moral leadership in global health in addition to its financial contributions.
Reviewing the history of the Global Fund’s founding, Mr. Sands also expressed his deep gratitude for Japan’s long-standing contributions. However, he warned that amid a pronounced trend of funding cuts to the health sector, the world faces the risk of losing the progress it has made. Mr. Sands noted that despite ongoing efforts, particularly in Africa, support remains crucial for sustainable self-reliance. Finally, he called for Japan’s continued cooperation, stressing that its leadership, which has played a leading role in global health intellectually, financially, and politically, is essential for the success of the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment and the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The second session featured a commemorative lecture by Dr. Djimdé, the fifth Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Laureate and Director of the Parasites & Microbes Research & Training Center (PMRTC) at the University of Science, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali.
He explained how Mali has been advancing countermeasures to fight against malaria, which remains the leading cause of death in the country, with the support of international technical and financial support, including from the Global Fund. Distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, supply of treatment drugs and diagnostic kits, human resource development, and the digitalization of surveillance have resulted in significant progress. Under situations where malaria control still faces many challenges, such as the emergence of drug-resistant malaria parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, the disruption of health services due to insecurity and COVID-19, and the spread of malaria to new areas as a result of climate change, Dr. Djimdé expressed his hopes for collaboration with Japan in the form of ongoing efforts to strengthen health systems, digitalization of medical services using Japanese science and technology, improved vector control, and strengthening of supply chains through the use of AI and drones, as well as collaboration with African researchers to help develop new solutions.
In the third session, Japanese Diet members who attended site visits to Kenya and Zambia to learn about infectious disease control measures, including projects supported by the Global Fund, shared their insights and lessons learned.
The three Diet members who visited Kenya in May 2025, organized by Save the Children, Japan, were House of Representatives Members Ayano Kunimitsu, Yoichi Fukazawa, and Tomoaki Shimada. They highlighted the vital role of community health promoters, the importance of supporting the Global Fund in order to create opportunities for procuring Japanese technology, and how preventing the spread of infectious diseases contributes to the stability of global public health and health security. The site visit reaffirmed the importance of Japan continuing to strengthen its solidarity with African countries and advance efforts to accelerate progress toward the eradication of infectious diseases and the achievement of UHC despite the challenging international situation.
Next, the seven Diet members who participated in the Zambia visit organized by JCIE/FGFJ in August 2025 reported on their visit (see the participating members and the list of key visits and meetings). In their meeting with Minister of Health Hon. Elijah Muchima, they were impressed by Zambia’s current administration giving top priority to healthcare policy and considering collaboration with the Global Fund and the Japanese government to be essential in building and strengthening their healthcare system.
Other key takeaways shared were concerns voiced by health personnel and experts about sustaining the accumulated capabilities of national public health institutes amid overall funding reductions. Direct exposure to efforts of community health workers in action and listening to firsthand accounts of the workers and their beneficiaries also helped deepen the participants’ appreciation of the pivotal role played by community health workers in response to infectious diseases in Africa. Finally, they observed how Japanese health products such as Fujifilm’s portable X-ray are being utilized on the ground and noted the potential for Japanese products to be further leveraged.
PROGRAM
SESSION 1: OPENING
Welcome
- Satoko Itoh, Managing Director, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE); Assistant Director, Friends of the Global Fund, Japan (FGFJ) (Moderator)
Opening Remarks
- Ichiro Aisawa, Member, House of Representatives (Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP); Co-chair, FGFJ Diet Task Force; Chairperson, Japan-AU Parliamentary Friendship Association
Keynotes Speeches and Special Remarks
- Bill Gates, Chair and Trustee, Gates Foundation
- Dr. Mathume Joseph Phaahla, Deputy Minister of Health, South Africa
- Mary Muthoni Muriuki, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ministry of Health, Kenya
- Nobuharu Imanishi, Ambassador for Global Health Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; Board Member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
- Peter Sands, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
SESSION 2: PRESENTATION BY THE FIFTH HIDEYO NOGUCHI AFRICA PRIZE LAUREATE
Introduction of Dr. Djimdé
- Salim Abdool Karim, Director, Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA); Fourth Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Laureate
Presentation
- Abdoulaye Djimdé, Director, Parasites & Microbes Research & Training Center (PMRTC), University of Science, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali; Fifth Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Laureate
Comments
- Shigeyuki Kano, Director, Department of Tropical Medicine and Malaria, National Institute of Global Health and Medicine, Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS)
- Salim Abdool Karim, Director, Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
Q&A
SESSION 3: DEBRIEFING FROM JAPANESE PARLIAMENTARIANS ON SITE VISITS TO AFRICA
Kenya (visit organized by Save the Children Japan in May, 2025)
Moderator: Ms. Yumiko Horie, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Save the Children Japan
Speakers:
- Yoichi Fukazawa, House of Representatives (LDP)
- Ayano Kunimitsu, House of Representatives (LDP)
- Tomoaki Shimada, House of Representatives (LDP)
Comments: Dr. Patrick Amoth, Director General, Ministry of Health, Kenya
Zambia (visit organized by FGFJ in August, 2025)
Moderator: Ms. Kyoko Ishigaki, Chief Program Officer, JCIE; Deputy Assistant Director, FGFJ
Speakers:
- Ichiro Aisawa, House of Representatives (LDP)
- Karen Makishima, House of Representatives (LDP)
- Kazuhiro Fujii, House of Councillors (LDP)
- Kozo Akino, House of Councillors (Komeito Party); Secretary General, Stop TB Partnership Promotion Parliamentary Federation of Japan
- Mari Takagi, House of Councillors (Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan)
- Toru Fukuta, House of Representatives (Democratic Party for the People)
Comments: Mr. Peter Sands, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
CLOSING REMARKS
- Motohisa Furukawa, Member, House of Representatives (Democratic Party for the People); Co-chair, FGFJ Diet Task Force; Vice Chair, Parliamentary Group to End Malaria by 2030