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Workshop on exchanging experiences of Japan’s Universal Health Systems and lecture series about Global Health and Development
On 5 March 2014, the International Convention Centre held an presentation: “Global Health and Development” of Prof. Keizo Takemi-Member of House Councillors Japan. Attending the meeting: Assoc. Prof. Pham Le Tuan-Vice Minister of Health; Dr. Takeshi Kasai-WHO representative in Viet Nam and international organizations; Departements and Institute’s Leader (Minister of Health) and all participants.
The visit of Professorr Keizo Takemi to Vietnam is under the bilateral cooperation of the goverments of Japan and Vietnam. The presentation’s content focus on sharing Japan’s experiences in the process of implementing Health Insurance and its relation to global health and development. Prof. Keizo Takemi emphasize universal health insurance is not only the Health sector’s responsibility but also macroeconomic policies. In addition, he shared how payment methods of health insurance are applied in Japan. In particular, rural people can purchase health insurance at lower prices but receive the same quality services. Thus, health insurance policies will have positive impact on people’s incomes as well as provides social security.Turning to the aging population, Japan not only aim to widening the life expectancy but expand healthy life expectancy and elder people’s contribution to society. Those targets should be performed through health insurance and social security policies in an effort to enable elderly continue working and contributing to society.
In conclusion, Prof. Keizo Takemi shared learnt lessons of Japan that previously, Japan’s universal health insurance systems did not pay for the health initial check-up, but has now started to change and using funding from health insurance for health care. The development of the private health sector also helps to reduce the financial burden on the middle class. Japan's success in achieving population health coverage has provided fairness in health care system, expanding coverage to Japanese people and control healthcare’ cost. That is a model Viet Nam can apply in the next 10-15 years in order to reduce overload in hospitals and reduce investment costs as well as redistributing incomes and social stability.
At the meeting, on behalf of Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Pham Le Tuan - Vice Minister of Health would like to acknowledge the support of the Government of Japan and in particular the Japanese Embassy in Ha Noi for making this visit possible. In the global health field, he emphasized the role of universal health coverage to solve existing global health challenges in the process of regional integration and globalization.
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