Health Minister Honorable Dr Popora Bosawai, his delegation and with senior officials of the Japanese Ministry of Health
The Minister of Health and Medical Services, Honorable Dr Paul Popora Bosawai who is currently in Tokyo, Japan, took the opportunity to make a courtesy visit to his counterpart Mr. TAKEMI Keizo, who is the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.
At the courtesy visit, Honorable Dr Paul Popora Bosawai, acknowledged the opportunity to meet with his Japanese Counterpart and shared with him the context upon which a small island country such as Solomon Islands faces in delivering health services.
He highlighted that “Solomon Islands is a country of just over 700,000 people, with 80% of that living in rural remote locations, hard to reach area, surrounded by the vast sea and maritime boundaries, a country that is prone and vulnerable to natural disasters including tropical cyclone, flash floods, earthquakes and tsunami, and where infrastructure and connectivity is still very much a challenge thereby making access to health services still very much a daily struggle for many of our people and particularly those in the Provinces, thus we should place more emphasis on public health and primary health care”
Despite the challenges faced by small island nations, the Health Minister Hon.Dr Bosawai is optimistic in progressing health services together with its strategics partners and stakeholders. He placed emphasis that “despite our many challenges and setbacks, under my leadership we will not give up. We will look out for new opportunities as well as new innovative ways that will enable us to deliver our health services better, to be effective and efficient to ensure we progress towards the achievement of universal health coverage in my country but especially out in the Provinces”.
The courtesy visit was well received by Honorable Mr. TAKEMI Keizo, who is the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and who has also been a member of the Commission for Universal Health Coverage convened by Chatham House since 2022.
Honorable Minister Keizo used the occasion to also highlight the ongoing challenges of reaching the unreached in Japan and that health services must cover all people to ensure the achievement of universal health, leaving no one behind.
The meeting occasion was also an opportunity to discuss potential solutions in the health sector particularly in the area of digital health, health information and sub specialist training and attachments will be explored in the very near future going forward in liaison with relevant partner ministries.
Minister of Health Honorable Dr. Paul Popora Bosawai was indeed grateful to have had the opportunity to have met his counterpart and to further discuss shared opportunities which will enable countries to move towards the ultimate goal of achieving universal health coverages.
Given that the courtesy visit made by the Honorable Dr. Paul Popora Bosawai would have been the first time ever for a Solomon Islands Health Minister to have visited the Ministry of Health in Japan, Senior Officials of the Ministry of Health took the opportunity and held a mini forum discussion with Honorable Dr. Paul Popora Bosawai and his delegations.
Discussions at the mini forum were around health’s aspirations including future improvement and developments of health facilities, enhancement of health systems and opportunities in digital health and telehealth, and up skills trainings and short-term attachments for sub specialists for both doctors, allied health and nurses.
-ENDS///