On the World Stage
From left to right: Michael J. Klag, Nagahiro Minato, Detlev Ganten, Shinji Uemoto and Shunichi Fukuhara. Photo credit: Kyoto University.
Dean Klag kicks off global health talks in Japan.
Asia’s imminent health challenges are the focus of transdisciplinary talks this week at the World Health Summit (WHS) Regional Meeting-Kyoto. The Bloomberg School’s Dean Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH ’87, kicks-off the April 13-14 event with an opening ceremony speech.
“I look forward to interacting with fellow researchers, public health leaders and policymakers as we discuss how to meet the challenge of aging populations,” Dean Klag says.
Japan’s people enjoy the longest life expectancy on the globe—and with that comes the need for health systems reforms, according to Dean Shunichi Fukuhara of the Kyoto University School of Public Health.
“Japan has been presented with a significant opportunity,” says Fukuhara. “Succeed in building a resilient healthcare system and social model, and become a world leader in overcoming challenges that many other societies will eventually face.”
Leiyu Shi, DrPH, director of the Johns Hopkins Primary Care Policy Center, is sharing insight about the role primary care plays in the health system’s transition from a focus on treatment to prevention.
“It’s exciting to have the 2015 regional meeting in Japan, which is at the forefront of dealing with aging population issues in society,” Dean Klag says, alluding to initiatives like robotic technologies that can help with elder care, and aging-friendly cities featuring improved public transportation.
Also on the agenda: The role that medical academia plays in grooming the next generation for global health leadership will be discussed by a panel that includes Josef Coresh, MD, PhD ‘92, MHS ’92, director of the Bloomberg School’s George W. Comstock Center for Public Health Research and Prevention.
Before returning home to Baltimore, Dean Klag joins global health leaders at the M8 Alliance meeting, also at Kyoto University. The Bloomberg School is the only US member of the M8 Alliance, a collaborative network of 17 academic institutions reputed for educational and research excellence.
—Salma Warshanna-Sparklin