The GHIT Fund celebrated the first anniversary of its inauguration with the event “Global Health R&D Showcase,” in Tokyo, Japan, on June 6, 2014. Over 350 attendees, from diverse sectors including the government, private sectors, public sectors, academia, NGOs/NPOs, and media journalists, participated in the event. The event began with Dr. Peter Piot (Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, former Executive Director of UNAIDS, and current board member of the GHIT Fund) providing a keynote presentation on Japan’s history of public health and eradication of infectious and parasitic diseases after the second World War. Dr. Piot also noted Japan’s strong leadership in the global health arena, referring to the Okinawa Infectious Diseases Initiative at the Kyushu-Okinawa G8 Summit in 2000. Indeed, Japan was the first among industrialized nations to put global health on the agenda. 

The panel discussion, presented by leaders from Japanese pharmaceutical companies and global health organizations tackling neglected diseases, focused on current challenges and future opportunities in global health R&D, as well as how Japanese organizations could potentially impact global health by utilizing their unique technology, innovation, and insights.