Japan and CEPI: In Preparation for the Next Pandemic

Prior to the occurrence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the “Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations” (CEPI) was launched at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos in January 2017. Japan, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation), and the Wellcome Trust have financially supported the activities of CEPI with a view to facilitating the development of vaccines and equal distribution to developing countries that are under the risk of new infectious diseases. This chapter sheds light on the role of CEPI in preparation for and prevention of the next pandemic in the post-COVID-19 world. To this end, it contextualizes Japan’s contributions to the establishment of CEPI, analyzes domestic factor that has facilitated Japan’s policy on CEPI, and pays attention to so-called 100 days mission of CEPI in preparation for future pandemics.