Establishment

The decreasing birthrate and extended average life expectancy are expected to bring about a serious aged society with fewer children in the near future. Under this circumstance it is a very important issue for enhancement of the national power that many children taking charge of the next generations will be born and grow healthy.
 In order to solve this issue, the important basic measures are to develop the social environment in which people can give a birth to a child and rear the child at peace, promote various measures to cope with the tendency to marry later, enhance the medical care of newborn babies, and to maintain and increase the health of women.
 In the medical area, specifically obstetrics and gynecology, the issues to cope with are piled up.
 First of all, various problems surrounding reproductive age women with focus on perinatal period have to be dealt with. In other words, the mortality rate of pregnant and parturient women is higher than other advanced countries; the causes of toxemia of pregnancy, endometriosis, abruption of the placenta from the right position, etc. have not yet been identified; and incidences of infertility and infectious diseases in pregnant women, ectopic pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, etc. are increasing. It is very important from the medical viewpoints as the countermeasures for decreasing birthrate to resolve these issues and to fully prerare for women’s health at reproductive age. For this purpose, it is necessary to promote studies on pathology, etiology and therapies, etc. of the diseases occurring in women and to enhance the level of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.
 Next, the problem of disorder and stress at reproductive age in connection with diseases caused at later age is taken into account. For example, it is known that women who developed toxemia of pregnancy at the early stage are likely to develop hypertension later at a fairly high probability, and women who delivered many children are likely to develop stress urinary incontinence later. Details of the relationship are still not identified. Therefore, promoting studies on such disorder and stress at reproductive age in connection with the diseases occurring later and thus preventing such circumstances would make a great contribution to maintenance and enhancement of women’s health.
 Further research on the relationship between aging and the diseases unique to women is sought after. For example, many women are struck by osteoporosis, hyperlipaemia, etc. after menopause. In this way, aging gives a great impact on the life of women. In association with the future rapidly aging society, these diseases caused by aging are expected to increase with certainty, and prevention of occurrence of diseases, appropriate medical care and enhancement of quality of prolonged elderly and senile life of women are longed for. For this purpose it is necessary to encourage studies on relationships between aging and diseases caused to women.
 The approach to develop medical advancement with focus on obstetric and gynecological medical care will contribute to maintenance and enhancement of women’s health, consequently leading to medical contributions to the declining birthrate and aging, which has a significant meaning.
 In the light of these situations, Kunio Kanzawa, Chairman of Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has offered his assets (cash of 324 million yen and 300,000 shares of Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has offered cash of 100 million yen, a part of its profits returned to the society to help promote medical researches in commemoration of its 50th anniversary in business.
 Therefore, Kanzawa Medical Research Foundation is hereby established with the objectives to promote development of healthcare and medical science by encouraging studies from various angles on causes, prevention, diagnoses, therapies, etc. of various diseases occurred in women at reproductive age with focus on perinatal period and elderly/senile women, thereby contributing to enhancement of the people’s health and welfare.
 It is our honor that the programs of this foundation help promote medical science through research grants.

September 25, 1996

Originators: Shoichi Sakamoto

Fumimaro Takaku

Akimi Ogawa

Kunio Kanzawa

Mutsuo Kanzawa