WKC’s Silver Jubilee: Recognising 25 years Advancing Health Development
WHO’s Centre for Health Development in Kobe (WKC) is marking 25 years of advancing health development since its inception on 22 August 1995.
The idea of creating a research centre in Kobe, Japan was first proposed to WHO by the Governor of Hyogo Prefecture and the Mayor of Kobe City in 1990, as a contribution to international health, through the generous support of the Kobe Group[1].
As an outposted office of WHO’s Headquarters, WKC was to conduct global research which would demonstrate the place of the health system in society and investigate the ways that health improvements contribute to increased economic and social productivity. This vision is the foundation of WKC’s research today on Universal Health Coverage.
The Centre was established in the aftermath of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. It is uniquely positioned to contribute to the health systems response to health emergency and disaster risk preparedness and advancing universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of population ageing, while playing a key role in sharing lessons from Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture to other countries facing similar challenges. The Centre is located in Kobe, Hyogo in Japan, and its activities benefit the local community.
Over the years, the Centre has also been acclaimed for its work on urbanization, mental health, women’s health and health promotion and noncommunicable disease prevention and control. More recently, WKC has worked with local and international researchers and institutions to create new understanding of sustainable financing in the context of UHC, service delivery models and social innovations, and metrics and measurement in monitoring the progressive realization of UHC.
WKC’s establishment in Kobe has made the city a fixture on the global public health stage, hosting meetings and multidisciplinary discussions of global impact over the years. The Centre also contributes to the local community through partnerships with universities in the Kansai area, dissemination of research results in local WKC fora, participation in local technical committees, and more recently, through disseminating information to professionals and the public about COVID-19.
The work of WKC in Kobe would not have been possible without the sustained support over 25 years of the Kobe group and the Hyogo and Kobe communities, for which WHO and the Centre are sincerely grateful. WKC looks forward to furthering its work with partners across the Kansai region of Japan to fulfil both the global health mandate and the needs of the local community.
[1] Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, Kobe Steel and the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry