Yohei Takahashi

Yohei Takahashi is Deputy Director of the General Affairs Division and Office for Dementia Policy, Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan. He focuses on policymaking and works on the longterm care insurance system of Japan. Mr. Takahashi is also engaged in conducting dementia policy and measures international collaboration to promote dementiafriendly communities in a global context. 

ICT Challenges and Opportunities for Social Protection Delivery in Nepal

In Nepal, several obstacles hinder investments on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for social protection. Data, for one, is still scare. Moreover, IT personal and expertise are also still at a weak level. To overcome these obstacles, capacity-training is needed at the country-level. Nepal also needs to upgrade its connectivity and hardware components.

The Potential Contribution of Contributory Social Protection (Pensions and other Social Insurance Cash Benefits Schemes) to the Closure of the Protection Gap in Asia

Social insurance provides income security and replaces income lost from old age, incapacity or disability, and sickness. Achieving social insurance coverage for all employed may be difficult for some countries, especially those beset with governance problems. However, if we are to effectively eliminate poverty among the working poor, temporarily employed, the elderly, and handicapped, extending coverage of social insurance schemes should be part of national strategies.

Social Protection Policies in Asia: Challenges and Solutions

Social protection helps lift people out of poverty and enhances access to basic social services. It also builds human capital while increasing access to formal employment, incomes, and savings. In Asia, social protection programs in East Timor, Nepal, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Krygyz Republic, and South Korea share common challenges that hinder people from enjoying their benefits. These include difficulty in targeting beneficiaries, inconsistent policies, and lack of funding.This presentation proposes several recommendation to address these difficulties.

ADB and ADBI Learning Program: Financing Social Protection for the Sustainable Development Goals

To assist its developing member countries (DMCs) in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ADB's Social Development Thematic Group initiated research on economic methods to estimate the fiscal implications of meeting the SDGs and pilot applications of the methods. The methods focused on SDGs relevant to social protection and were applied in three countries (Myanmar, Mongolia, and Timor-Leste). This learning event shared the findings of the research and trained DMC officials in applying the methods.

Social Protection in the Area of Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia Pacific: IFRC Experience and Learnings

Climate‐related disasters are expected to increasingly affect vulnerable people, adding to the already unmanageable workload of humanitarian teams. There is a need for systems that can respond predictably and effectively to protect vulnerable communities amidst the evolving risks.

National Workshop for Promoting Gender Equality in the Labor Market: Gender, Labor, and Migration in the People’s Republic of China

Co-hosted by ADB's East Asia Regional Department and Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, International Labor Organization (ILO), and Beijing Normal University, this workshop shared the findings of the Technical Note on Gender, Migration, and Labor Market, which shows trends in women's employment in the context of various transitions and migration.