Event Details
Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
Time: 17:30-19:00 (Japan time) / 11:30-13:00 (Eastern Africa time)
Place: JICA Okinawa Center Multipurpose Hall (Zoom online streaming available)
Registration: Click here for in-person registration Click here for online registration
At TICAD 9 held in Yokohama in August 2025, private sector-led growth, digital transformation, and innovation were reaffirmed as pillars of Japan-Africa cooperation, and the importance of building inclusive and resilient societies based on the principle of “Leave No One Behind” was stressed. In the second session of AFRI CONVERSE 2026, we will revisit this philosophy from the perspective of the “disparity created by distance.
In Africa, while healthcare is an important infrastructure that supports people’s lives and economic activities, it faces challenges such as limited access to healthcare, lack of human resources, and inadequate infrastructure. In particular, geographical distance is a major barrier in rural areas, landlocked countries, and island regions, where more than half of the population lives more than 5 km away from medical facilities and about 24% of the disease burden, while only about 3% of the world’s medical personnel are employed. Meanwhile, advances in mobile technology, telemedicine, and digital health are expected to provide new solutions.
These issues are not unrelated to Japan. In Okinawa Prefecture, distance is a factor in medical disparities, as medical resources are limited, especially in remote island areas, and access to advanced medical care requires transport to the main islands. Geographical conditions have a direct impact on access to medical care, as several remote islands depend on a limited medical system and more than 2,000 transports are performed annually. These challenges are common to Africa and call for the redesign of healthcare services based on distance.
Against this backdrop, this dialogue event is designed to provide a forum for exploring possibilities for innovation and co-creation in the healthcare sector. Startups, research institutions, policy makers, and development partners will engage in discussions to expand access to healthcare through telemedicine and digital technologies, and to strengthen Japan-Africa collaboration.
As part of the TICAD follow-up, this event aims to explore concrete collaboration between Japan and Africa to achieve inclusive access to healthcare regardless of distance.
Outline of the event
Program (tentative)
17:30 – 17:35 Opening Remarks
17:35 – 17:45 Benediction
17:45 – 18:05 Keynote: “No One Left Behind Across the Distance: The Future of Health Tech in Africa”
18:05 – 18:55 Panel Discussion: “Rethinking Access to Healthcare Across Distance”
18:55 – 19:00 Closing remarks
Speakers (titles omitted)
Toshiyuki Nakamura, Special Assistant to the President, JICA
Masahiko KITANI, Ambassador for Okinawa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Afna Ezakonwa, UNDP Assistant to the President and Director, Africa Bureau
Kuniyuki Furuta Founder and CEO, SOIK
Nudewenu Credo Adelphu Ahisu, Specially Appointed Researcher, Department of Global Health, Graduate School of Health Sciences, National University of the Ryukyus
Akiko Hagiwara, JICA International Cooperation Specialist (Health)
Moderator:
Yannick Gayama Accelerator Program Lead, Innovation and Venture Development Section, OIST
African converse
An interactive seminar related to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), launched by UNDP in 2018, and co-hosted by UNDP and JICA starting in 2020, with the aim of disseminating African development challenges and the efforts of Japan, co-sponsoring organizations and others to address them to a wide audience in Japan and Africa, The seminar is held once a quarter.
In 2025, in conjunction with TICAD 9 in Yokohama, sessions were held under diverse themes at venues including Hiroshima University, Osaka-Kansai EXPO, TICAD 9, and the United Nations University. 2026 will continue the dialogue and dissemination through this seminar, and the second session will be held in Okinawa, where discussions will be held from the perspective of connecting regional and The second seminar will be held in Okinawa, and discussions will be held from the perspective of connecting local and global issues.
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