His Excellency, Ambassador Kwacha Chisiza attended a celebration of Japan’s Leadership in Fighting Infectious Diseases. Friends of Global Fund Japan (FGFJ) hosted a reception to welcome Peter Sands, the executive director of the Global Fund, who was visiting Japan for the first time in two years. Over 100 people from various fields, including government, civil society, the private sector, and academia, gathered at the event.

The event also featured the inaugural presentation of FGFJ’s “Leadership Awards” to honor and celebrate Japan’s leadership in fighting the world’s three major infectious diseases. Five awards were presented to individuals and organizations from various sectors that were recognized for their outstanding contributions to measures in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and to Japan’s support for the Global Fund. FGFJ’s Advisory Board and Diet

Task Force members presented the trophies to four awardees. These included Former Japanese Prime Minister Hon. Fumio Kishida who attended a Global Fund replenishment conference, reaffirming Japan’s pledge. Prof. Junko Tanuma, Yu Miyaji, Takeda Pharmaceutical, and Prof. Masayoshi Tarui were recognized for their contributions to HIV treatment, research, and bioethical approach to AIDS countermeasures