Redesigning Japan's Healthcare System and Health Diplomacy for 2040: Policy Recommendations Released
A research group at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science at Tohoku University has released new policy recommendations regarding Japan's healthcare policy and health diplomacy with an eye toward 2040. These recommendations discuss how to maintain and develop the current universal health insurance system in a Japan facing an aging population and a declining birthrate.
Japan's current medical system is supported by a "universal health insurance system" in which all citizens are enrolled. However, the sustainability of the system has become a challenge due to future population decline and rising social security costs. The current recommendations emphasize the importance of not only organizing the domestic medical system but also integrating it with "health diplomacy" to strengthen international cooperative relationships.
Specifically, the goal is to increase international influence and contribute to solving global issues by sharing Japan's excellent medical technology and public health expertise with the world. This is expected to create a cycle in which Japan exercises leadership in the global health sector and feeds the results back into domestic medical policy.
The research group states that a fundamental review of policy is necessary to build an efficient and sustainable system that maintains the quality of medical care by 2040. Moving forward, it is expected that the government and relevant organizations will proceed with concrete system design based on these recommendations.