The World Medical Association picked Yoshitake Yokokura as its new president for a one-year term at its annual general meeting in Chicago on Friday.
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 healthcare 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.
