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[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Wako City in Saitama Prefecture.

First, the Prime Minister attended a roundtable meeting to exchange views with users, maternal health care managers, and others at the Wako Prenatal and Postnatal Care Center. Afterwards, Prime Minister Abe participated in preventative nursing care activities at Nissei Oasis Wako and then met with users, caregivers, and others.

After his visit, the Prime Minister said,

“Through today’s visit, I was able to again see for myself the extreme importance of alleviating worries related to prenatal and postnatal care if we are to realize the desired birthrate  of 1.8 children per woman.

To that end, in order to alleviate concerns about childbirth, we will promote the opening of more institutions that can offer consultations, and we will increase the number of personnel in order to accomplish that.

At the same time, I also want to further enhance frameworks in which people can be visited in their own homes for consultations about the worries and concerns they have.

Also simultaneously, I want to consider the further promotion of efforts to reduce the burdens placed on women by pregnancy and childbirth.

This is something that was mentioned in a conversation I had with young people two days ago – the reality is that people must now begin to search for daycares while pregnant. In order to eliminate childcare waiting lists, we will increase the current childcare capacity of existing facilities by 100,000 children, bringing it up to 500,000 children from 400,000. I want to thoroughly achieve the elimination of childcare waiting lists.

Additionally, here in Wako City, there is a project to support elderly people in living healthy lives.
We also need to create more facilities in order to reduce to zero the number of people who leave employment to provide nursing care. At the same time, I have also reconfirmed the urgent need for preventative care.

I have heard that 40% of the people who receive medical support in Wako City are recovering, and I spoke today with people who actually have recovered. I want to thoroughly expand advanced examples like this to other places, and I want to see focused efforts toward both the creation of more facilities and preventative care.”

Additionally, in response to a question on political funding for Minister Takagi, the Prime Minister said,

“Every politician must take a thoroughly serious attitude toward the issue of political funding. I think this is something that is true of my Cabinet, the ruling parties, and opposition parties as well.

We will fulfill our responsibility to explain this issue to the public. Trust is important, and so I think it is important that we strictly take a serious attitude toward this issue in the future.”