Watch the video of the sixth webinar, when Japan Society chairman, Bill Emmott, was joined in discussion by two eminent scientists, Professors Kiyoshi Kurokawa and Peter Piot. Co-hosted by the Health & Global Policy Institute.
Continuing our series of webinars, we are delighted to welcome two eminent scientists, Professors Kiyoshi Kurokawa and Peter Piot, to join Japan Society chairman, Bill Emmott, in conversation. Both are well aware of the many challenges of advising governments on scientific issues, effective public messaging and of course the search for effective vaccines and cures for disease.
As national governments begin to take steps to relax restrictions on social and economic activity and travel, they do so with greater knowledge now about the COVID-19 virus than when the pandemic first emerged in January-February. How can and will this knowledge be put into effect? What use can the various tests be put to and what do we know about the chances of re-infection? How should we understand the myriad international efforts to develop a vaccine and the emerging treatments we read about such as Avigan and Remdesivir?
Dr Kiyoshi Kurokawa is Professor Emeritus, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and of the University of Tokyo, and is Chairman of an independent think-tank, the Health and Global Policy Institute. He has held posts as a professor of medicine in a number of leading US academic institutions. From 2006 – 08 he served as Special Advisor to the Cabinet of the Japanese Government. He subsequently chaired the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) by the National Diet of Japan (2011-12). In 2013-18 he was chair of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund in Tokyo. He continues to provide advice to the Japanese Cabinet Office and policy authorities.
Professor Baron Peter Piot is the Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London. He has a medical degree from the University of Ghent (1974), and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Antwerp (1980). In 1976 he co-discovered the Ebola virus in Zaire and led research on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and women's health, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. He was the founding Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1995 until 2008, and was an Associate Director of the Global Programme on AIDS of WHO. He is Vice-Chair of the board of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund in Tokyo, and a member of the board for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
