JICA Satellite Sessions During the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research 2024 (HSR2024) (Part 2)

From Nov. 18 to 22, 2024, the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research 2024 (HSR2024), a prestigious global health event, was held for the first time in Nagasaki, Japan.

Prior to the main sessions, satellite sessions took place on November 18 and 19, and JICA organized eight of these. An overview of the satellite sessions that took place on November 19 is provided below. Video recordings from Sessions 6 and 7 can be viewed as well.

(Click here to view the report on the satellite sessions that took place on November 18.)

Based on experience from official development assistance loan projects by JICA to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), policymakers and researchers were invited from different countries to discuss efforts on health financing for UHC. Representatives of the Ministry of Family and Solidarity of Senegal, the Ministry of Health of Kenya and the Universal Health Insurance Authority of Egypt gave presentations on the following topics respectively: budget increase to provide health insurance coverage to those who are in poverty or are vulnerable, realized in Senegal through JICA projects; ongoing health sector reform in Kenya; and Egypt’s policy for UHC.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance and Budget of Senegal shared its perspectives. For example, to secure increased budget allocation to a ministry, it is effective when the ministry or agency in charge presents its achievements. Professor Nakamura Ryota, Hitotsubashi University, then reported on the outcome of impact evaluation that was jointly conducted by JICA and Hitotsubashi University on the project for UHC in Senegal. Professor Nakamura pointed out that although a drop in household health expenditure is being observed, the challenge of budget shortage for health insurance schemes exists. Togawa Shotaro, JICA, presented the results of an analysis of the process to formulate a plan for health-financing development in Senegal. Togawa pointed out the importance of strengthening systems for collaboration for plan execution as well as assistance from development partners who take political and economic context into account.

Video recording of Session 6:
English
French

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face the “double burden” of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Within the next decade, 75% of cancer deaths are projected to occur in LMICs. However, efforts to strengthen health systems in resource-constrained countries to deal with cancer have not been sufficient.

In this session, Takizawa Ikuo, Principal Research Fellow from the JICA Ogata Research Institute served as a moderator. Ida Akiko, Research Fellow, also from the JICA Ogata Research Institute, led the presentations highlighting the tremendous lack of cancer care and necessary data for policymaking in LMICs, based on her ongoing research project "The Socio-Economic Impact and Challenges of Non-Communicable Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries."

Professor Sonia Kabore, a pediatric oncologist from the University Pediatric Hospital of Charles de Gaulle, and Dr. Samiratou Ouédraogo of the University of Ouagadougou, a principal co-investigator of the O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chair in Burkina Faso, a West African country in conflict and struggling with poverty. They pointed out the lack of resources as a major challenge but also shared their optimism from seeing collaboration efforts among partners and the development of local resources. Dr. Chika Kitajima, Asia Regional Director of the Foundation City Cancer Challenge in Switzerland, presented the potential of a city-focused cancer control ecosystem model. Dr. Catherine Lam, Director of the Health Systems Unit and Asia Pacific Regional Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a world-renowned clinical research institute, shared her experience of improving childhood cancer care through strengthening health systems.

Furthermore, presenters shared international policy frameworks led by WHO, and successful examples liaising with governments, health professionals, academic researchers, the private sector, and community-based organizations. The session was concluded by pointing out that the early investment in cancer control yields greater returns, and that efforts to improve cancer control can contribute to more inclusive, integrative, and resilient health systems.

Video recording of Session 7:
English
French

The enhancement of research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa holds prominent roles in addressing the global challenges of communicable diseases. However, research institutes in this region face many challenges, such as limited national budget allocation, overseas outflow of researchers, dependency on external funding and the lack of ownership of research work caused by this. The mission of Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is to make policy recommendations for national and regional healthcare using research-based evidence. With JICA’s technical cooperation, in addition to capacity building of the researchers themselves, KEMRI focused on the importance of effective and strategic management to be able to secure more research funding such as external competitive grants and to allow the effective use of resources to produce research achievements. They then created a plan to establish a new department in charge of strategic research management and administration.

In this session, evidence for this plan, status of efforts made so far, challenges and how they will be addressed were explained. In addition, the importance of setting key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress and the possibility of long-term collaboration with other organizations were discussed. Implementation of the plan and human capacity building will lead to improved efficiency and effectiveness of processes taking place before and after acquiring competitive research grants. This will lead to enhanced research capacity of the researchers and the organization, ultimately leading to research achievements for improved health among the general public.

For more information on the speakers in each session, please see the event outline page provided below:
JICA Satellite Sessions in HSR2024 (Day 2) - JICA Ogata Research Institute