Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended the first meeting of the Task Force Team for Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) at the Prime Minister's Office.

Established with the objective of implementing comprehensive measures to address HTLV-1, the Task Force Team met to discuss the current situation and issues concerning HTLV-1 countermeasures.

Prime Minister Kan said in his address, "Hearing firsthand the voice of patients last week and having exchanged information today, I have reaffirmed the need for swift action on HTLV-1.
I ask that vigorous effort be made to compile comprehensive measures, by the end of the year at the latest, on topics including the dissemination of accurate knowledge and understanding, the research and development of preventive measures and treatments, and counseling and medical examination systems."