Health system sustainability in Japan: Priorities for structural reform
Health system sustainability in Japan: Priorities for structural reform
Japan’s healthcare system has kept the country remarkably healthy with relatively minor changes for nearly six decades. The system provides universal care, generous coverage and the most innovative treatments at a cost that is accessible to all.
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Supporting an innovative life sciences ecosystem in Japan
Medical innovation in the life sciences requires a holistic policy and market access environment that supports everything from basic science to product research and development (R&D) and, ultimately, commercialization. Though North America and Europe have historically led innovation in life sciences, Japan has been a leading contributor from Asia for decades. However, emerging life science sectors in South Korea, and more recently China, are quickly catching up after investing heavily in infrastructure, human capital, and R&D, as well as enacting national policies to further bolster their life sciences ecosystems.
This analysis by The Economist Intelligence Unit explores the enabling factors creating a supportive environment for innovation in the life sciences sector in Japan, benchmarked against three other countries: the US, South Korea, and China.
Overall, while Japan is still producing life science innovation at a high level, it appears to be stagnating while the US remains ahead, and regional competitors are either catching up to or surpassing Japan.
Our research identified several opportunities for Japan to build on early progress in fostering an innovative life sciences ecosystem and remain competitive on the global stage. Priority areas that should be addressed include:
Maintaining and expanding a strong workforce Investing in R&D and incentivising business enterprise Preserving strong intellectual property (IP) protection while enhancing enforcement and transparency Increasing encouragement of technology transfer and commercialisation Ensuring health policies are consistent with those promoting new products
日本のイノベーティブな ライフサイエンス・エコシステムを支えるために
ライフサイエンス・セクターの医療イノベーションには 、 基礎科学・研 究開発(R&D)・実用化など 、 あらゆる領域を対象とした包括的政策や市 場アクセスが不可欠だ。日本は過去数十年にわたり 、 アジアの主要イノ ベーション国として存在感を示してきた。しかしライフサイエンスにお けるイノベーションでは北米と欧州が依然として大きな影響力を保って いる。また近年 、 韓国や中国がインフラ・人材・R&D への投資を加速さ せ 、 新たな政策を打ち出すことでライフサイエンス領域のエコシステム 強化を推進している。競争力強化に向けた抜本的な方策が日本に求めら れているのはそのためだ。
ザ・エコノミスト・インテリジェンス・ユニット(EIU)が作成した本 報告書では 、 日本のライフサイエンス・セクターの現状を米国・韓国・ 中国と比較分析し 、 イノベーション推進体制のさらなる強化に向けた 方策について検証する。
日本はライフサイエンスの分野で高度なイノベーション力を維持して いるが 、 先行する米国には追い付けていない。またアジアでは韓国・ 中国といった競合国の追い上げに直面しており 、 イノベーション大国と しての地位は必ずしも盤石でない。
今回 EIU が行った調査では 、 日本がこれまでの実績を活かしながら ライフサイエンス・セクターのイノベーション・エコシステムを強化し 、 世界的競争力を維持するために求められる方策が明らかとなっている。特に下記の取り組みは重要だ:
高度な研究人材の維持・拡充 研究開発投資の加速と企業向けインセンティブの強化 強固な知的財産保護制度の維持と 、 実施体制・透明性の向上 技術移転・実用化の支援強化 医療財政の健全化と新薬創出の両立
Related content
Supporting an innovative life sciences ecosystem in Japan
Medical innovation in the life sciences requires a holistic policy and market access environment that supports everything from basic science to product research and development (R&D) and, ultimately, commercialization. Though North America and Europe have historically led innovation in life sciences, Japan has been a leading contributor from Asia for decades. However, emerging life science sectors in South Korea, and more recently China, are quickly catching up after investing heavily in infrastructure, human capital, and R&D, as well as enacting national policies to further bolster their life sciences ecosystems.
This analysis by The Economist Intelligence Unit explores the enabling factors creating a supportive environment for innovation in the life sciences sector in Japan, benchmarked against three other countries: the US, South Korea, and China.
Overall, while Japan is still producing life science innovation at a high level, it appears to be stagnating while the US remains ahead, and regional competitors are either catching up to or surpassing Japan.
Our research identified several opportunities for Japan to build on early progress in fostering an innovative life sciences ecosystem and remain competitive on the global stage. Priority areas that should be addressed include:
Maintaining and expanding a strong workforce Investing in R&D and incentivising business enterprise Preserving strong intellectual property (IP) protection while enhancing enforcement and transparency Increasing encouragement of technology transfer and commercialisation Ensuring health policies are consistent with those promoting new products
Finding the silver lining amid medical research funding cuts
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
The Cost of Silence
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Download the report to learn more.