2025 UHC Day Champion
Hon. Karen Makishima
Member of the House of Representatives, Japan
Browse other champions
- Countries driving UHC progress
- Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, Founder and President of UNITE - Parliamentarian’s Network for Global Health
- Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Vice Chair and Senior Advisor, International Health Policy Program Foundation, Thailand
- Solange Mbaye, Regional Programme Manager for Amref Health Africa, Senegal
- Levy Mkandawire, Programme Manager for Amref Health Africa, Zambia
- Concepta Kwaleyela, President of the Midwives Association of Zambia
- Professor Anne Beatrice Kihara, Former President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kenya
- Hester Mkwinda Nyasulu, Country Manager for Amref, Malawi
- Habibou Ouedraogo, Health Economist, Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso
- Hon. Hyun-Young Shin, Congresswoman, 21st National Assembly of Republic of Korea
Ms. Karen Makishima, a former Minister for Digital Transformation and Chair of the LDP’s International Cooperation Committee, has advanced the foundational elements necessary for achieving equitable UHC and addressing financial protection barriers.
She champions Well-being and the Human Security framework in development cooperation, advocating for an integrated approach that connects health and population issues with ODA strategies. Through her active engagement with organizations like the Asia Population and Development Association (APDA), she promotes the necessity of accessible healthcare, reproductive health, and robust domestic welfare (child and elderly care) to mitigate catastrophic financial risk. Furthermore, she consistently pushes for women's empowerment and the integration of gender-responsive approaches in international development, directly contributing to reducing the systemic health and financial barriers faced by women and marginalized populations globally.
