Dr Yoshihiro Takashima is now working as a Guest Professor at the Osaka University, Visiting Professor at the Hiroshima University, and Visiting Researcher at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. He graduated from the Osaka University (MD, 1991), the Harvard University (MPH, 1997), and the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (PhD, 1999). He worked as surgeon at the Kobe City General Hospital and local hospitals in Japan (1991-1996) and as medical officer at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (1997-2000). In 2000, he began his career with the WHO as Regional Coordinator for the WHO's Emergency and Humanitarian Action programme for the Western Pacific (2000-2003) and medical officer of the WHO, China, responsible for measles elimination, accelerated hepatitis B control, and immunization safety (2003-2009). In 2009-2018, he worked with the WHO’s EPI in the WPR as responsible officer for immunization system strengthening, measles and rubella elimination, the Group Lead for accelerated diseases control, and acting EPI Coordinator. In 2018-2023, he lead the WHO’s programme on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization in the WPR as Coordinator for (1) sustaining polio eradication; (2) achieving and sustaining measles and rubella elimination; (3) accelerating hepatitis B control; (4) developing and implementing the WP Regional Strategic Framework for VPDs and Immunization in 2021-2030; (5) planning and implementing COVID-19 vaccination response.