TOKYO, JAPAN — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has marked a significant step forward in global health security with the inauguration of its new East Asia and Pacific (EAP) regional office in Tokyo, Japan. CDC Director Mandy Cohen, alongside U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Keizo Takemi, celebrated the opening at a ceremony attended by diplomatic and health leaders from the region, international organizations, and academic institutions.
The EAP regional office will enhance the United States Government’s global health impact by collaborating with Japan, regional partners, and organizations to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.
“America’s safety and security hinge on the strong connections between countries worldwide,” stated Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H, Director of the CDC. “This new regional office will focus on advanced threat detection, laboratory networks, response capacities, and other systems for rapid response to ongoing and emerging public health threats.”
The office’s priorities include expanding the CDC’s core global health security capacity, enhancing the ability to detect and respond quickly to public health threats, and fostering knowledge and information exchange between the CDC and the region.
“The COVID pandemic reminded us that viruses don’t stop at borders,” said Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan. “International collaboration, transparency, and reliance on science, particularly among partner countries like Japan, are vital. This new regional office brings together American, Japanese, and regional expertise to track, respond to and defeat diseases.”
The new office aims to identify, respond to, and mitigate health threats in international settings, preventing their spread to and within the U.S. The CDC will enhance government and non-government partnerships to build trust and transparency for rapid data exchange and strengthen core global health security capacities.
Dr. Michelle McConnell has been assigned as the new CDC EAP regional director. She previously served as the Director for Asia and the Pacific in the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In her new role, Dr. McConnell will develop a global health security strategy for the region, oversee global health security activities, collaborate on implementing headquarters programs with CDC country offices, and engage with other relevant stakeholders.
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