Triple I for Global Health Co-Hosts a side event at TICAD 9 with UNICEF and Cabinet Secretariat of Japan

On August 21, 2025, Impact Investment Initiative (Triple I) for Global Health, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan, co-hosted an event at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan. Under the theme "PROMOTING INVESTMENT IN GLOBAL HEALTH: Cross-Sectoral Partnerships for Co-creating Innovative Solutions and Impact", this international gathering brought together nearly 200 participants from Africa, Japan, and other regions worldwide. The event was highly engaging and generated significant momentum, with lively discussions and active exchanges of ideas throughout the sessions. It aimed to catalyse cross-sector collaboration and promote innovative investments that address pressing global health challenges, with a strong focus on African healthcare systems and their development.

Event Highlights:

1. Opening Remarks and Keynote Speeches

The seminar opened with Welcome Remarks from prominent leaders, including  Ms. Rio Tomonoh, Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office, who underscored Japan's commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, Mr. Ken Shibusawa, Co-Chair of Triple I for Global Health, who highlighted the tremendous progress of Triple I as well as the need for robust policy frameworks and outcome measurement tools, and Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, warned of the risks to children's health and development from the impacts of climate change, humanitarian crises, and declining ODA, and called for innovative financing, corporate partnerships, and multi-sectoral collaboration to support vulnerable children and secure a foundation for education and shared prosperity.

Following the opening remarks, Ms. Nnenna Lily Nwabufo from the African Development Bank and Ms. Trina Haque of the World Bank, provided keynote speeches for the event. From a macro perspective, they presented the health-related challenges faced locally in Africa, and introduced each strategy and initiative aimed at bridging the essential Healthcare Financing Gap necessary to address these health issues, and emphasized the importance of innovative finance cooperation.

2.  Panel Discussion

A  panel discussion  facilitated by Dr. Ayoade Alakija, Co-Chair of Triple I, brought together prominent leaders from JICA, UNICEF, UNFPA, LIXIL Corporation, mothers2mothers, and Mizuho Financial Group. Panelists shared best practices and strategies for catalyzing investments in Africa's healthcare sector.

The discussion offered valuable insights into the roles played by government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector in promoting actionable investment solutions for Africa's healthcare needs.

3.  Summary, Prospect on future actions and Remarks

The main session of the event concluded with summary from Mr. Steve Davis, Co-Chair of Triple I, who emphasized the importance of policy and building enabling environments, and remarks from H.E. Mr. Hideo Suzuki, Japan's Ambassador for Global Health, expressing gratitude to all speakers, panelists and participants, and highlighting Japan's two private investment related initiatives: "Triple I for GH" to address the "supply side" by incentivizing investors, and "Africa Sustainable Health Investment Promotion Package" to empower the "demand side" (the investees) by reinforcing Africa's governance and infrastructure.

This seminar successfully highlighted pathways for addressing Africa's healthcare challenges through innovative models of collaboration and impact investing.

4. Networking Reception and Showcase of Best Practices

The event then continued with a  Networking Reception in the next room, offering participants an opportunity to build relationships and explore potential partnerships.

Opening and Closing Remarks were delivered by Dr. Magda Robalo, Co-Chair of UHC2030 and Mr. Saul Gurrero Oteyza, Director, Public Partnerships Division Asia-Pacific Pillar Office in Tokyo, UNICEF, emphasizing Japan's growing role in global impact investing and the importance of advancing healthcare innovation in Africa. The reception also featured showcases of successful Japan-Africa collaborations.

• Medical Oxygen Manufacturing Projects in East Africa, led by Japan's Nikkiso and Unitaid.
• Collaboration between Japan-Africa company, introduced by AAIC Investment and Revital Healthcare.

These case studies illustrated the potential of impact investments and public-private collaborations to generate sustainable healthcare solutions.

This Side Event at TICAD 9  fostered an unparalleled dialogue on advancing cross-sector partnerships that are essential for global health for all. Going forward, Triple I for Global Health will continue to expand its network of partners and advance impact-driven investment models that bridge funding gaps and deliver measurable global health impacts. Future efforts will focus on encouraging governments and global institutions to create enabling environments, developing robust impact measurement and management tools, and fostering collaboration among governments, international organizations, and the private sector to accelerate progress toward sustainable and inclusive health systems especially in LMICs.

Featured Speakers and Panelists

Opening Remarks:

• Ms. Rio Tomonoh, Parliamentary Vice-Minister, Cabinet Office of Japan
• Mr. Ken Shibusawa, Co-Chair of Triple I for GH, CEO of Shibusawa & Company, Inc.
• Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF

Keynote Speakers:

• Ms. Nnenna Lily Nwabufo, Vice President, African Development Bank
• Ms. Trina Haque, Regional Director, Human Development, Western and Central Africa, World Bank

Panelists:

• Mr. Hitoshi Hirata, Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
• Ms. Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa
• Ms. Diene Keita, Acting Executive Director, UNFPA
• Ms. Ilda Kuleba, Africa Director of Strategic Operations & Partnerships, mothers2mothers
• Dr. Megumi Muto, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Mizuho Financial Group
• Mr. Kinya Seto, President and Chief Executive Officer, LIXIL Corporation

Comment from the floor:

• Dr. Frank Aswani, CEO of African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA)

Summary and Remarks:

• Mr. Steve Davis, Co-Chair of Triple I for GH, Senior Advisor of Gates Foundation
• H.E. Hideo Suzuki, Ambassador for Global Health of Japan

Networking Remarks:

• Dr. Magda Robalo, Co-Chair, UHC 2030
• Mr. Masataka Uo, GSG Impact Ambassador
• Mr. Saul Guerrero Oteyza, Director, Public Partnerships Division Asia-Pacific Pillar, UNICEF

Networking Showcases:

CASE:1　"Medical oxygen manufacturing" project in East Africa

1. Mr. Koichi Kato, CEO of NIKKISO
2. Dr. Phillipe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid

CASE:2 "Collaboration between Japan-Africa company

1. Mr. Shigeru Handa, Director of AAIC
2. Mr. Roneek Vora, Director of Revital Healthcare

Flyer of the Event: Link

Summary of Discussion: (English) (Japanese)

Record of the Event:

• • Welcome remarks and Keynote Speech: (English) (Japanese Subtitles) (French Subtitles)
  • Panel Discussion: (English) (Japanese Subtitles) (French Subtitles)
  • Summary, Prospect on future actions and Remarks: (English) (Japanese Subtitles) (French Subtitles)