50 Years On: The United States-Japan Cooperative Medical Science Program 1965-2015; Part II, the Leprosy Joint Panel

Following the historical meeting of Prime Minister EisakuSato and President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 and the decision to institute a U.S.-Japan formal relationship addressing research on infectious and other diseases, there were two significant planning meetings (mentioned in Reference 1, a historical view of the overall USJCMSP).The second such watershed meeting of the fledgling USJCMSP was held April 19-21, 1965, at the National Education Hall, Tokyo, led by Dr. Tosho Kurokawa and Dr. MacLeod as Chairmen of their respective delegations.Out of it arose a "Summary of Understandings", a definition of the management and structure of the USJCMSP, such as establishment of the guiding "Joint Committee" which became synonymous with Joint Delegation and, most importantly, the Joint Panel system applicable for each of the identified disease entities.The five health problem areas initially designated for Joint Panel formation were: cholera, tuberculosis, leprosy, parasitic diseases, and virus diseases.