Doctor Who Challenged Healthcare in Developing Countries as a Volunteer for 9 Years Shares Her Thoughts for the First Time After Returning to Japan and Expresses Gratitude to Supporters - Japan Heart Activity Report Meeting 2025 Decided!

Japan Heart, a NPO international medical NGO originating in Japan (Taito-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Haruna Yoshioka), will hold its annual activity report event, "Japan Heart Activity Report Meeting 2025 ~Dr. Kazaka Shares the Medical Field Connected by Support~" on May 14th (Thursday) at 7:00 PM, featuring Dr. Mariko Kazaka, Chief of Pediatrics in Cambodia.

This event is held with the aim of expressing gratitude to supporters and reporting how donations are utilized in the field, as Japan Heart, where donations account for 90% of its annual income, a high percentage among NPOs.

The speaker is Dr. Mariko Kazaka, Chief of Pediatrics in Cambodia, who has been working on the front lines as a long-term volunteer doctor for 9 years since 2017, without compensation. As a pediatrician and a specialist in the Japanese Society of Hematology, Dr. Kazaka focuses on treating pediatric cancer, which has a high infant mortality rate in developing countries.

Her dedication was highlighted in the TBS/MBS program "Jounetsu Tairiku" episode "Asia Children's Medical Center" broadcast in December 2025, where she was featured as a central figure on the ground, receiving significant attention.

Dr. Kazaka has now completed her long-term volunteer work as a doctor in the field and is returning to Japan. While she plans to continue her involvement with Japan Heart's activities, this event marks the first time she will speak about her reflections and achievements since returning to Japan, now that she has reached a significant milestone.

The 2025 fiscal year was a "turbulent year" for Japan Heart.

Starting from the chaos immediately after the major earthquake in Myanmar on March 28th at the end of the previous fiscal year, a new fully free hospital with 200 beds, the "Japan Heart Asia Children's Medical Center," built with over 800 million yen in donations, opened in October.

As a venue for reporting on the year's activities, the event will feature Dr. Kazaka's presentation as the main program, along with live broadcasts from the new hospital and video messages from various Japan Heart projects in Myanmar and domestically.

Through this event, we aim to convey the medical field, which has been sustained by the support received, with gratitude, and to create an opportunity to move forward together as companions who connect lives.

Application/Registration: https://www.japanheart.org/join/event/lecture/20260514_impact_session.html