HHS DEPUTY SECRETARY AZAR'S MEETING WITH MOFA ECONOMIC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000010 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE DEPT FOR OES/IHA SINGER AND FENDRICK DEPT FOR EAP/J USDA PASS TO APHIS HHS PASS TO CDC HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI EAGR JA SUBJECT: HHS DEPUTY SECRETARY AZAR'S MEETING WITH MOFA ECONOMIC BUREAU DG ISHIKAWA ON DECEMBER 6 TOKYO 00000010 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: On December 6, Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Alex M. Azar II met in Tokyo with Ambassador Kaoru Ishikawa, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Economic Affairs Bureau. They discussed a range of global and bilateral health issues, including regional health priorities and the U.S. beef importation issue. End summary. Common Approaches; China as Example -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Alex M. Azar II and Ambassador Kaoru Ishikawa, Director SIPDIS General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Economic Affairs Bureau began their December 6 discussion by noting the increasing role of health issues in foreign policy. D/S Azar thanked Ishikawa for his instrumental role in establishing The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in his prior position as Director General of MOFA's Global Issues Division. Ishikawa noted that the U.S and Japan share a common approach to global health issues, focused on increasing transparency and meeting the needs of real people with demonstrable results. As an example, Ishikawa mentioned Japan's efforts in China's southern provinces to push for greater transparency on outbreaks on avian influenza and other infectious diseases. D/S Azar noted that China has lately been increasingly cooperative and transparent on health issues. Ishikawa agreed, and added that progress with China is best achieved through a multilateral approach, where calls for greater transparency do not single out one particular country, and thus enable the Chinese to "save face". Global Health Priorities -------------- ¶3. (SBU) D/S Azar inquired about Japan's future global health priorities and mentioned the importance of Japan's investments in delivering health care and education in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ishikawa responded that Japan was proud of its efforts, particularly its school reconstruction projects in Iraq, but that the GOJ is making decisions on future contributions in a domestic environment of budget and salary cuts. D/S Azar emphasized that Japan is a key partner in The Global Fund, and that the U.S. Administration has a strong desire for Japan to remain on the Global Fund Board as a leading donor country. (Comment: Two years ago, the GOJ was embarrassed at the prospect of losing or being forced to share its seat on the Global Fund Board. Ishikawa hinted that further contributions to the Global Fund were part of discussions within the government on a possible "emergency" budget request, and that former PM Mori continued to make Japan's leadership against infectious diseases worldwide one of his top priorities. End comment.) Polio Eradication; Africa Poses Particular Challenges -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) On polio eradication, D/S Azar added that Japan's help is needed for a final push toward complete eradication of the disease, particularly in countries such as Nigeria, where Muslim communities are suspicious of vaccination programs. Ishikawa acknowledged that health challenges in Africa are immense, but was non-committal on future GOJ funding for polio eradication, instead mentioning initiatives to increase Japan's diplomatic presence in Africa and efforts by private donor groups in Japan to support Global Fund objectives. Turning again to China for an example of Japan's international health cooperation, Ishikawa noted Japan's successful eight-year effort to help eradicate polio from China after the 1989 outbreak of the disease. Beef Issue -------------- ¶5. (SBU) D/S Azar thanked Ishikawa for Japan's reopening its beef market to U.S. imports and underscored that the U.S. employs a science-based process to ensure a safe beef supply. He mentioned the recent Harvard risk assessment that confirmed the negligible risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in U.S. beef, and informed Ishikawa that the HHS Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would publish by year-end 2006 a new regulation concerning the use TOKYO 00000010 002.2 OF 002 of animal materials in medical products. He added that a final FDA regulation on specified risk material in animal feed is likely in 2007, but emphasized that under U.S. law, regulation on such matters must be evidence-based and cost-justified. D/S Azar offered to keep MOFA and Japan's Food Safety Commission informed during this process. ¶6. (SBU) Ishikawa acknowledged this, but advised a cautious approach in advocating for full access to the Japanese beef market. Ishikawa noted that while the scientific evidence and his own personal tastes made him a supporter of U.S. beef in Japan, he alluded that public opinion holds more sway on the issue than do policymakers, stating that "Japanese housewives are more powerful that I am." Ishikawa noted that Japan now imports most of its beef from Australia, and that the USG and U.S. industry would be wise to note that Australia's marketing campaign has emphasized the safety of its beef supply, in particular its full traceability, and has succeeded in winning over Japanese public opinion. Ishikawa went on to note the mutual importance of agricultural trade to both countries. ¶7. (U) This message has been cleared by HHS. DONOVAN