On July 11, 2024, U.S. Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra met with Minister Keizo Takemi, Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan to discuss US and Japan’s longstanding global health partnership. Secretary Becerra and Minister Takemi spoke about the planning of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Knowledge Hub in Tokyo and continued cooperation on World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic negotiations.
Later in the day, Secretary Becerra met with Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland about ongoing global health initiatives. Secretary Becerra thanked Minister Holland for his strong collaboration and support on gender and reproductive health efforts and discussed best efforts for ongoing partnership in protecting the American and Canadian people from future pandemics.