Japan's Yokokura to head World Medical Association

The World Medical Association has named Dr. Yoshitake Yokokura as its new president for a one-year term. The appointment came Friday at the association’s annual general meeting in Chicago.

Yokokura, 73, who became president of the Japan Medical Association in 2012 and is starting his third term, said in his inaugural address as WMA president that the world faces challenges from aging societies.

“I want to spread the concept of Japan’s health care system and know-how, which have raised the healthy life expectancy of Japanese people to amongst the highest in the world, throughout the world,” he said, according to a statement released by the association.

Yokokura is the third Japanese doctor to become president of the WMA.

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