Japan's FY 2008 health care budget raised 3% to $221B, with disease management up 102%

The fiscal year 2008 budget for the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been increased 3.0% to 22,122.0 billion yen ($221.04 billion), including some 8,564.0 billion yen for the operating costs of health insurance programs (a 1.6% rise on the previous year).

In the disease management budget, 203.7 billion yen, was allocated, a 102% increase. Within this, 20.7 billion yen, 276% more than the previous year, was earmarked for hepatitis countermeasures including the promotion of interferon treatment (12.9 billion yen) and the promotion of hepatitis virus tests (5.1 billion yen).

For cancer prevention, 23.6 billion yen, a 111% rise, was proposed. This includes the prevention and early detection of cancer and the standardization of oncology treatment facilities throughout the nation (8.3 billion yen) and the promotion of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as the fostering of cancer experts (5.4 billion yen). For the infectious diseases - including new types of influenza, 15.1 billion yen was earmarked. In addition, 111.9 billion yen was allocated for intractable disease countermeasures.