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On July 14, 2020, the Prime Minister held the 30th meeting of the Headquarters for Healthcare Policy at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, the participants held discussions on the draft implementation strategy for the Grand Design for Asian Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Regulatory Harmonization, the implementation status of the first phase of the healthcare and medical strategy and the first phase of the plan for the advancement of research and development in the medical field, the draft policy for the allocation of budget and other resources related to research and development in the medical field in FY2021, the draft targets of moonshot research and development, the proposed revisions for the basic policies of the business operations of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), and the operation of AMED and the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Following the discussions, the Prime Minister said,

“The Headquarters for Healthcare Policy formulated the healthcare and medical strategy for the next five years, including the response to COVID-19, in March this year, and is advancing efforts to materialize a society in which people enjoy long and healthy lives.

Particularly with regard to COVID-19, it has become a matter of urgency to establish effective diagnosis and treatment methods as early as possible, and eliminate the anxiety among the citizens. I ask you to continue to bring together wisdom from not only Japan but the whole world, and exert every effort in the development of therapeutic medication, vaccines and rapid diagnostic kits. As AMED President Mishima has delivered an encouraging presentation, I have high hopes that AMED will utilize its roles and functions to the maximum and exert every effort to support research and development as well as practical application.

Furthermore, in anticipation of the ‘post-corona’ future, it is important for Japan, which has an excellent medical care system, to contribute more actively to raising the standards of healthcare and medical care in the whole of Asia. As a first step, today we decided on an implementation strategy so as to make Japan take the lead in the enhancement of research and development and harmonization of regulations in Asia.

I would like the relevant ministers, including Minister Takemoto, as well as President Mishima, to continue to work together to implement the new strategy.”