In Yokohama, Professor Degila was able to meet with His Excellency Dr Hirobumi Niki, the Japanese State Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in follow-up discussions to their meeting at the Maison de la Paix on 28 May, when Professor Degila hosted a roundtable lunch on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly. The roundtable lunch provided a unique opportunity to discuss good health practices around non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and involved African health ministers, Boehringer Ingelheim, and HE Dr Hirobumi Niki. 

Professor Degila’s August 2025 discussion with HE Dr Hirobumi Niki evoked the generous support of the Japanese government towards maintaining health security in Africa, as well as on the promotion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). HE Dr Hirobumi Niki shared the creation of the UHC Knowledge Hub, with the support of the World Bank and the World Health Organisation, which will have the goal of collecting data and sharing knowledge to promote UHC, especially in African countries. HE Dr Hirobumi Niki also expressed his hopes for close collaboration between Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Africa and the new Japanese Institute for Health Security. 

Previously, Professor Degila  hosted a roundtable event on the sidelines of the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024, to discuss how to promote the right to health in Africa and advance Non Communicable Diseases and Health Equity in the region particularly cardiovascular, renal and metabolic care. During the high-level conversation in the margins of WHA 78 in May 2025, the following three areas of focus were highlighted to improve CRM care across Africa, alongside the sharing of good practices by Japan :

• Prioritising Prevention and Early Diagnosis;
• Promoting Universal Health Coverage;
• Building strong partnerships across borders, to deliver a high-quality of care for patients.

The importance of building strong partnerships with all stakeholders at all levels should be reflected better through coordinated actions to improve outcomes for African people with CRM conditions. In particular, it is important that African Governments invest in measures to tackle NCDs — ensuring that any new policies or initiatives are appropriately and sustainably funded. Such commitment was clearly underlined in the final Declaration of TICAD 9 with the commitment to co-create innovative solutions with Africa.