Dr. Rie Fujita conducted the first lecture; it was an overview of the Japanese health care system and particularly, some of Nagasaki’s unique health issues. It was very useful topic that covered particular characteristics of Japan’s population. Presently, the number of children born continues to decrease and Japan’s society is becoming as ageing one. One of the reasons for this is the increase of career women; consequently, women are having fewer babies and these are much later in life. As a result, when some want to start a family they are less able to fall pregnant. Moreover, there is also a number of women who wish to remain unmarried and choose not to be mothers. Similarly, she also introduced us to some of the changing health care and welfare programs in Japan. Indicating some of the future challenges for an ageing and declining population, she went to explain that in order to deal with this concern, and even if there were several strategies or plans enacted, these would not solve the issues without participating from citizens. Everyone needs to be involved and become more proactive in any plans.
The day’s second lecture was about maternity and child health on Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. It was given by Prof. Kazuyo Oishi. She spoke about the infant mortality rate and gave details of places of giving birth. Presently, in Japan the infant mortality rate continue to drop rapidly and the percentage of giving birth at home is now almost zero.
Similarly, she explained the important role of independent midwives in maternal and child health in the absence of wide-scale medical resources. We were made aware that the role of midwives is necessary in the rural areas that may be without large healthcare facilities, such examples are Goto and Oshima Islands. She went on to detail Japan’s five actions of materiality and child health care program. Finally, she talked about the importance to know the needs of rural residents and the best way to serve their needs.
After lunch, Prof. Miho Omi’s lecture on the gender and human security. It was a comprehensive presentation that let us to get knowledge about the concept of gender and human security. What more, she explained gender issue in Japan. Presently, even Japan is the advance economic development, human rights protection, and high education standard, Japan still facing with gender matter in society. As she mentioned, most of leaders and managers in evacuation center are men and only 11.8% of women in prefecture level, 6.2% of women in city and town and some city there have no women members. The main reason was not those women are no ability to be the leader, but it was the mentality or Japanese perspective that the leader should be the men. To overcome this concern, she stated that we need the role of women NGO, strengthen mass media more on gender sensitive, and support women to live in dignity without fear and want.
After these three lectures today, we understood and got a lot knowledge in relevant topic. We also have shared ideas with each other to more comprehensive on the issue. I think that PAHSA Short Program is not only a good opportunity for us to gain knowledge, but also good for us to build relation and share experience.