On May 13 and 14, 2023, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra attended the Health Ministers’ Meeting in Nagasaki, Japan, to discuss global health priorities.

Secretary Becerra and G7 members expressed the importance of continued coordination to strengthen global health architecture for prevention, preparedness, and response to public health emergencies, universal health coverage, and innovation to address health challenges.

Secretary Becerra stressed the U.S. government's ongoing commitment to strong partnerships with G7 partners during the meetings. He emphasized our commitment to leveraging innovations for global health to advance research and development of medical countermeasures for health emergencies, investing in developing new antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance and accelerating the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, he emphasized the urgency of strengthening access to essential health services, including through primary health care, and the urgency of advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Finally, he shared the U.S. commitment to global collaboration on Long COVID research and supporting the physical and mental health needs of patients experiencing Long COVID.