90 percent of local governments subsidize 5 or more regular gynecologic checkups

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

90 percent of local governments subsidize 5 or more regular gynecologic checkups

A Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry survey in April shows that 1,628 local governments, or 90 percent of all municipalities in Japan, subsidize pregnant women’s periodic checkups for more than 5 times. The number was 305 when the survey was conducted in August last year.

In August 2007, in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara, a pregnant woman had a miscarriage after she was taken to a hospital by ambulance. She had never received regular checkups because she could not afford them.

One gynecological checkup costs 5,000 yen and the average total amount of checkup cost is 147,000 yen, which is a heavy financial burden for pregnant woman.

After the incident in Nara, the Japan New Women’s Association (Shinfujin) launched a nationwide movement, including a signature campaign and lobbying of local governments, calling for subsidies for pregnant women.

In the Shinfujin survey conducted in March and April this year, many respondents said that the cost for regular gynecologic checkups is too expensive.

Up till FY 1997, financial support for gynecological checkups was funded by municipalities using subsidies from prefectural and central government funds. Since FY 1998, tax money allocated by the central government to local governments has been used. But the amount of tax money allocated to local governments has been reduced.

Many local municipalities’ officials are saying, “We want to increase funding for subsidizing gynecological checkups, but we cannot afford to do so because of cuts in the amount of tax money allocated to local governments.”

- Akahata, July 4, 2008