2026/07/01 APACPH CCHP Strengthens Collaboration with Japanese Public Health Leaders

The APACPH Collaborating Centres for Health Promotion (CCHP) delegation visited the University of Tokyo and the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS) on 17-18 June 2026 to strengthen professional exchange and explore future collaboration with leading public health institutions in Japan.
 
The visit was led by Prof. Hung-Yi Chiou, Director of APACPH CCHP and President of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), together with Prof. Betty Ya-Wen Chiu, Chief Executive Officer of APACPH CCHP, Vice President Finance APACPH, and Director of the APACPH Taiwan Regional Office. The delegation was warmly received by Prof. Hiroyasu Iso, President of the Japanese Society of Public Health (JSPH) and Director of the Institute for Global Health Policy Research (iGHP), JIHS. The visit was coordinated by the APACPH Japan Regional Director, Professor Masahiro Hashizume from the University of Tokyo.
 
During the meetings, representatives from APACPH CCHP, JIHS, JSPH, and the University of Tokyo exchanged views on health promotion, non-communicable disease prevention, global health policy, and public health workforce development. The discussion also highlighted the importance of strengthening academic and institutional networks in the Asia-Pacific region to respond to emerging public health challenges and promote evidence-informed policy translation.
 
The Japanese participants included Prof. Masahiro Hashizume, Director of the APACPH Japan Regional Office; Dr. Akira Shibanuma, Chair of the APACPH Election Committee; Prof. Takahiro Higashi, Professor at the University of Tokyo and a member of the CCHP International Advisory Committee; Prof. Ai Noda, Chair of the Internationalization Promotion Committee of the JSPH; Dr. Sumiyo Okawa, Senior Researcher at the Center for Global Health Policy Research, Bureau of International Health Cooperation, JIHS; and Prof. Takehiro Sugiyama, Director of the Department of Medical DX, Bureau of System Infrastructure Development, JIHS. The participation of these distinguished experts demonstrated the close linkage between APACPH’s regional network, CCHP’s international advisory network, and Japan’s leading public health research and policy communities.
As part of the visit, Prof. Ai Noda introduced the organizational development and key research areas of JSPH, while Prof. Iso shared perspectives on Japan’s public health priorities and the role of JSPH in advancing research, policy, and professional engagement. The two sides also discussed opportunities for future collaboration, including participation in APACPH activities, academic exchange, and capacity-building initiatives related to health promotion and NCD prevention.


The meeting also highlighted upcoming collaboration between CCHP and Japanese public health experts. Prof. Takehiro Sugiyama will visit Taiwan in August 2026 as an invited speaker for the Asia-Pacific Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Workshop organized by CCHP. In addition, Prof. Hiroyasu Iso has been invited to speak at the CCHP parallel symposium during the APACPH 2026 Annual Conference in Taiwan this October. These forthcoming engagements are expected to further strengthen knowledge exchange and professional collaboration between CCHP and Japan’s public health community.
In recognition of Prof. Iso’s distinguished leadership and extensive contributions to public health, health promotion, and non-communicable disease prevention, Prof. Iso was invited and has agreed to serve as a member of the CCHP International Advisory Committee (IAC). Through the IAC, CCHP hopes to further strengthen international expert guidance, regional collaboration, and strategic development in health promotion and public health capacity building.
Prof. Chiou expressed his sincere appreciation to Prof. Iso and the Japanese colleagues for their warm hospitality and constructive meeting. He emphasized that APACPH CCHP has long been committed to serving as a mutual learning platform for public health professionals in the Asia-Pacific region, and that stronger collaboration with Japanese partners would further enhance regional capacity in health promotion and disease prevention.
Prof. Betty Ya-Wen Chiu also noted that collaboration between CCHP and public health partners in Japan could create valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing, talent development, and policy dialogue. She expressed hope that future cooperation would continue to support CCHP’s mission of strengthening public health leadership and promoting healthier communities across the region.
 
The visit marked an important step in deepening collaboration between APACPH CCHP and Japanese public health institutions. Moving forward, CCHP will continue to work closely with regional partners to advance health promotion, non-communicable disease prevention, global health exchange, and public health workforce development in the Asia-Pacific region.


Prof. Hung-Yi Chiou, President of APACPH and Director of APACPH CCHP, presented a commemorative gift to Prof. Hiroyasu Iso, President of the Japanese Society of Public Health and Director of iGHP, JIHS.