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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040515Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9535
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 9428
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8913
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 1908
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2871
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0449
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8409
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA SINGER AND FENDRICK 
DEPT FOR EAP/J 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER 
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI EAGR JA
SUBJECT: HHS DEPUTY SECRETARY AZAR'S MEETING WITH MOFA ECONOMIC 
BUREAU DG ISHIKAWA ON DECEMBER 6 
 
TOKYO 00000010  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: On December 6, Department of Health and Human 
Services Deputy Secretary Alex M. Azar II met in Tokyo with 
Ambassador Kaoru Ishikawa, Director General of the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Economic Affairs Bureau.  They discussed a 
range of global and bilateral health issues, including regional 
health priorities and the U.S. beef importation issue.  End summary. 
 
 
Common Approaches; China as Example 
----------------------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy 
Secretary Alex M. Azar II and Ambassador Kaoru Ishikawa, Director 
 
SIPDIS 
General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Economic Affairs 
Bureau began their December 6 discussion by noting the increasing 
role of health issues in foreign policy.  D/S Azar thanked Ishikawa 
for his instrumental role in establishing The Global Fund to Fight 
AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in his prior position as Director 
General of MOFA's Global Issues Division.  Ishikawa noted that the 
U.S and Japan share a common approach to global health issues, 
focused on increasing transparency and meeting the needs of real 
people with demonstrable results.  As an example, Ishikawa mentioned 
Japan's efforts in China's southern provinces to push for greater 
transparency on outbreaks on avian influenza and other infectious 
diseases.  D/S Azar noted that China has lately been increasingly 
cooperative and transparent on health issues.  Ishikawa agreed, and 
added that progress with China is best achieved through a 
multilateral approach, where calls for greater transparency do not 
single out one particular country, and thus enable the Chinese to 
"save face". 
 
Global Health Priorities 
------------------------ 
¶3. (SBU) D/S Azar inquired about Japan's future global health 
priorities and mentioned the importance of Japan's investments in 
delivering health care and education in the Middle East, 
particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Ishikawa responded that Japan 
was proud of its efforts, particularly its school reconstruction 
projects in Iraq, but that the GOJ is making decisions on future 
contributions in a domestic environment of budget and salary cuts. 
D/S Azar emphasized that Japan is a key partner in The Global Fund, 
and that the U.S. Administration has a strong desire for Japan to 
remain on the Global Fund Board as a leading donor country. 
(Comment: Two years ago, the GOJ was embarrassed at the prospect of 
losing or being forced to share its seat on the Global Fund Board. 
Ishikawa hinted that further contributions to the Global Fund were 
part of discussions within the government on a possible "emergency" 
budget request, and that former PM Mori continued to make Japan's 
leadership against infectious diseases worldwide one of his top 
priorities. End comment.) 
 
Polio Eradication; Africa Poses Particular Challenges 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
¶4.  (SBU) On polio eradication, D/S Azar added that Japan's help is 
needed for a final push toward complete eradication of the disease, 
particularly in countries such as Nigeria, where Muslim communities 
are suspicious of vaccination programs.  Ishikawa acknowledged that 
health challenges in Africa are immense, but was non-committal on 
future GOJ funding for polio eradication, instead mentioning 
initiatives to increase Japan's diplomatic presence in Africa and 
efforts by private donor groups in Japan to support Global Fund 
objectives. Turning again to China for an example of Japan's 
international health cooperation, Ishikawa noted Japan's successful 
eight-year effort to help eradicate polio from China after the 1989 
outbreak of the disease. 
 
Beef Issue 
---------- 
¶5.  (SBU) D/S Azar thanked Ishikawa for Japan's reopening its beef 
market to U.S. imports and underscored that the U.S. employs a 
science-based process to ensure a safe beef supply.  He mentioned 
the recent Harvard risk assessment that confirmed the negligible 
risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in U.S. beef, and 
informed Ishikawa that the HHS Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
would publish by year-end 2006 a new regulation concerning the use 
 
TOKYO 00000010  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
of animal materials in medical products.  He added that a final FDA 
regulation on specified risk material in animal feed is likely in 
2007, but emphasized that under U.S. law, regulation on such matters 
must be evidence-based and cost-justified.  D/S Azar offered to keep 
MOFA and Japan's Food Safety Commission informed during this 
process. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Ishikawa acknowledged this, but advised a cautious 
approach in advocating for full access to the Japanese beef market. 
Ishikawa noted that while the scientific evidence and his own 
personal tastes made him a supporter of U.S. beef in Japan, he 
alluded that public opinion holds more sway on the issue than do 
policymakers, stating that "Japanese housewives are more powerful 
that I am." Ishikawa noted that Japan now imports most of its beef 
from Australia, and that the USG and U.S. industry would be wise to 
note that Australia's marketing campaign has emphasized the safety 
of its beef supply, in particular its full traceability, and has 
succeeded in winning over Japanese public opinion. Ishikawa went on 
to note the mutual importance of agricultural trade to both 
countries. 
 
¶7.  (U) This message has been cleared by HHS. 
 
DONOVAN