Start of the 12-year initiative for the third term of Health Japan 21

Abstract

The third term of Health Japan 21 focuses on developing “health promotion that leaves no one behind” (Inclusion) and promoting of “more effective measures” (Implementation) in response to the diversity in health issues that accompanies the diversity of society. The vision behind the third term is “achieving a sustainable society in which all citizens can lead healthy and fulfilling lives,” and is scheduled for a 12-year period from FY2024 to FY2035. The basic direction of the vision is to promote health a based on the life course approach, improve the quality of the social environment over and above improving individual behavior and health status, ultimately achieving an increase in a healthy life expectancy and reduction in health disparities, and conduct a health promotion campaign to realize the vision and health promotion that leaves no one behind. In developing health promotion that leaves no one behind, Health Japan 21 (the third term) incorporates new perspectives such as women's health, the creation of a naturally healthy environment, setting goals that involve coordination with other plans and measures, presenting action plans, and specifying descriptions of the visualization and utilization of personal health information. A total of 51 goals were set for the third term. In principle, the targets should be based on scientific evidence on health and sustainability. A post-event grasp of an actual situation should be considered, and official statistics should be used as the data source. Higher targets should be set for issues for which the earlier targets have been achieved. New targets include increasing the number of people who get enough sleep, decreasing the mortality rate from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, promoting “strategic initiatives for a healthy and sustainable food environment,” promoting health management, and increasing the rate of osteoporosis examinations. The evaluation method and timing should be decided during plan formulation. This has been done, and a baseline is presented using the results of the 2024 National Health and Nutrition Survey as the latest values. An interim evaluation will be conducted for all goals by 2029, six years after the start of the plan, and a final evaluation, by 2033, ten years after the start of the plan so that the results of various activities to achieve the goals can be appropriately evaluated and reflected in subsequent health promotion efforts. In response to this evaluation and analysis, the basic policy will be updated as necessary to promote health more effectively through the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.