Innovation, Sustainability, Prosperity: Japan ’s Healthcare Vision

In 2015, the Japanese government appointed an advisory panel of young experts to lay out its vision of healthcare in the country for 2035. This vision is a healthcare system that delivers unrivalled health outcomes, provides secure and responsive care for all in society, is sustainable, and contributes to prosperity in the nation and around the world.Yet, how achievable is this ideal, and how does the government plan to realize its vision? What is clear is that it will require a paradigm shift – a move from quantity to quality of care and from inputs to value, on care rather than cure, on autonomy over regulation, on national integration rather than fragmentation.Current challenges
Japan has long been recognized as one of the healthiest nations in the world with a top-class healthcare system. It leads the way in key mortality statistics; the average life expectancy at birth continues to increase, reaching nearly 84 years in 2015, the highest among all OECD nations, combined with a very low infant mortality of just 2.1 deaths per 1000 live births. On the surface, Japanese healthcare appears perfectly functional, so why is such a change required?Challenges have been developing under the surface for some time, especially growing concern over the sustainability of the healthcare system. The Japanese population is ageing; the birth rate has been on a continual decline since the 1970s, reaching just 1.5 births per woman in 2015 (vs a OECD average of 1.7), and this is predicted t...

Source: EyeForPharma - January 5, 2018 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Marc Yates Source Type: news