Japan to Launch New Body for Future Pandemics Next April

From Jiji

April 9 2024

TOKYO -Japan’s health ministry said Tuesday that it will establish a new expert body in April 2025 to prepare for future infectious disease crises.

The body, billed as the Japanese version of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be called the Japan Institute for Health Security.

The government plans to work on details of the body, selecting its leader, who will serve as commander in the event of a pandemic, and deciding the size of its personnel.

“We will tackle future pandemics with a rock-solid system and provide a sense of security to many people in the country,” health minister Keizo Takemi told a preparatory committee meeting.

The new body will integrate the current National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine.