Emergency government response team for global infectious disease outbreaks—a Japanese challenge

The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa made it clear that international emergency assistance must be strengthened [1]. The Japanese government has contributed to combating infectious disease outbreaks by extending emergency aid to affected countries through international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Red Cross, and by providing emergency relief directly to affected countries. The Japanese government also dispatches individual experts on infectious diseases to affected regions through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network of the WHO [2]. During the Ebola virus outbreak, Japan contributed approximately USD173 million in emergency aid and through various technical cooperation programs, and dispatched 20 experts to the affected countries through the WHO [3]. In October 2015, the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Infectious Diseases Response Team was established to respond to large-scale infectious disease outbreaks at the request of governments requiring technical assistance with these outbreaks [4], although a scheme for responding to natural disasters, the JDR, has been in place since 1987 [5]. The Japanese government offered to take the initiative in protecting human security during the G7 Ise-Shima Summit in 2016, and this new scheme was established in accordance with this policy [6]. The aim of this letter to the editor was to share the characteristics of the scheme and benefits which were identified based on the first dispatch to Democratic Republic of the Congo (hereinafter DRC). The JDR Infectious Diseases Response Team is a national team that collaborates with the relevant governmental agencies in the affected countries and international partners, including the WHO. The team would offer effective assistance in those areas specified by the governments of the affected countries. During the mission, the team will